Underworld Lover (A Guardian Angel Romance #2)

by haron Hamilton

  “This is beautiful, Josh. Who lives here?” Melanie asked as Josh slung his arm around her waist and led her to the front door.

  “Daniel and Claire DePalma.”

  “No way, man. The Guardian?” Felix’s reaction alarmed Melanie.

  “Yes.” Josh said as he knocked.

  “You nuts? They’ll never allow me in there.”

  “We’ll soon find out, won’t we?” Josh answered as the front door opened.

  Melanie saw a handsome and very muscular dark haired man with dancing dark eyes, who greeted them warmly.

  “Daniel, I’d like you to meet Melanie.” Melanie felt the soft gaze from his eyes and thought she might be looking into the face of Adonis himself.

  “How very nice to meet you at last,” Daniel said with a distinct accent Melanie couldn’t make out. “Welcome to our home.” He motioned for them to come in.

  As Felix passed by Daniel, he held out his hand.

  “I’m Felix.”

  Daniel seemed to be ready to shake Felix’s hand, but then pulled it away. His eyes narrowed and he kept his distance.

  “Yes, Daniel. He’s dark, but he’s going to help us. He is Melanie’s human…friend.” Melanie saw Josh and Daniel exchange glances as she heard a female voice in the background.

  “Melanie, how nice to get to meet you. Josh has said wonderful things about you.” A small blond woman, slightly older than Melanie, rushed forward, wearing a pair of very baggy blue jeans. She was barefoot and wore a big shirt, perhaps one of Daniel’s, rolled up at the sleeves. “I’m Claire. Welcome.” She gave Melanie a warm hug and stepped back. “Felix,” she said curtly as she nodded to him.

  Felix couldn’t take his eyes off Claire. He watched her every move. Melanie became slightly concerned for her welfare.

  They were ushered to a table off the kitchen. Claire brought a bowl of green salad and plate of sandwiches. She brought out a pitcher of ice water Melanie was grateful for, and coffee for Josh and Daniel. She noticed Claire had added so much cream to Josh’s coffee it was the color of a light caramel candy.

  Before they served up, Daniel took Claire’s hand, motioning for the other three to do the same. Once the circle was formed, Daniel bowed his head.

  “Father, we thank you for each and every day of our lives together, for the love of old and new friends and for the good work we do here in your name. Amen.”

  Felix began to cough. “Well, that was a first. Definitely going to have to confess this at the next meeting.”

  Josh cut him off. “No, Felix, you will not say anything of the kind. You are not to tell anyone about this, or the fact that you have participated in a pr…pr…I’m sorry, but I am not allowed to say it.” Josh glared at Felix.

  “Prayer,” Daniel finished.

  “If it makes you feel any better, it is also my first,” Josh answered.

  “Mine as well,” Melanie couldn’t help but add.

  “How is it, Josh, that you can say ‘Father’ but not ‘prayer’?” Claire asked, obviously amused by the subject matter.

  “Don’t know. There is a theory that Father made all of us, even darks,” Josh answered.

  “I do believe that,” she replied.

  At last, Melanie could not contain herself. “I’m sorry, guys. Who is Father?”

  “Who do you think?” Daniel chuckled and looked at her.

  “You mean—” Melanie couldn’t bring herself to continue. “Am I going to meet this Father?”

  Claire reached over and squeezed her hand. “In time, Melanie. All in due time. Hopefully not for many years.”

  Joshua looked like he’d just been slapped. “Okay,” he began. “We have to get down to business. Here are the facts as I see them.” He held one finger up. “Peter wants Melanie.” He continued to hold up fingers as he dictated the parameters of the situation. “Peter wants me to deliver Melanie to him. Then Peter will kill me and probably Felix.”

  Felix’s head popped up. “Dude, this sucks.”

  “That’s only one possible outcome, Joshua,” Claire blurted out.

  “Right,” he said. “So here’s a couple more. I fight Peter and lose, then am killed. Or, I fight Peter and win, then kill him. The problem is that I don’t have any chance of beating Peter without your help.” He waved his fork in front of the other four. “And I have no idea how we defeat him.”

  “I do.” Claire said. Everyone looked to her.

  “He thinks he’s going to win. You guys always do that.”

  “Guilty,” Josh said under his breath.

  “So, he’s planning on his victory party, and doesn’t have a Plan B. But that’s what we’re going to give him. We’re going to make him think he won, because he’s a bully. But we’re going to give him something else instead.” Claire’s face contained the biggest smile Melanie had ever seen. Her pink cheeks plumped into two perfectly formed orbs accentuating her bright white teeth.

  “What, Claire?” Daniel asked.

  “Not what, my dear. But whom. He won’t have a plan for this one. We’re going to give him Father.”

  Chapter 31

  “You can’t be serious, Josh,” Felix said back in the car. “I think becoming human has driven her insane. How’s she going to get Father to agree to this?”

  Melanie wasn’t sure either.

  “Felix, you have no idea how clever Claire is. And she has a relationship with him. If anyone can do it, she can, my friend.”

  Felix continued with his grumbling, stewing in the back seat of the car. He shifted his legs back and forth, this agitation making lots of noise on the leather seat.

  Melanie was thinking about the vision of Claire and Daniel standing by the backyard window, talking about where to put a play structure for their baby, which was due, of all days, on Christmas. Daniel’s arm tucked around her waist like he’d been doing it for a hundred years. He leaned to whisper things in her ear so softly Melanie couldn’t hear them, but the melting smile on Claire’s radiant face told her everything she needed to know. Everywhere Claire went, he was not far. They were constantly touching one another. Melanie had not seen two people more in love.

  She wondered if this would be something she could have. As a dark angel, could Josh ever be like Daniel, and devote his entire life to making her happy? Would she be able to completely trust him as he went on his dark missions, even if Peter were immobilized or destroyed? Wouldn’t he discover someday that they were not really a match?

  Melanie knew he wouldn’t abandon her while Peter was a threat. But if they did win the war Josh said was brewing—and that was a huge “if”—wouldn’t he want her to have a normal human life? If his presence wasn’t necessary for her protection, wouldn’t he need to leave? She was sure he would.

  Josh looked over at her as he took a turn to the right. “Can I afford your thoughts?” He brought her fingers up to his lips and kissed them.

  Melanie smiled. “I liked watching the two of them. They seem very much in love.”

  He nodded. “And?”

  “Did you…ever…?”

  “No, I never was attracted to Claire. Besides, if I had sex with her, she would have turned.”

  “Did you try?”

  Josh watched the traffic as he waited to cross a light. They were close by Melanie’s shop. His reluctance to answer gave her neck and shoulders a jolt of electricity. Her stomach rolled over as if she was going to be sick.

  Damn.

  Her eyes began to water up. Felix had gone suddenly quiet in the back seat. Josh sighed and squeezed her hand as he explained. “I tried once. I had to shift into Daniel’s form. For about five minutes, she thought—”

  “Stop it.” She said it more forcefully than she expected. “I don’t want the details. Your intent is bad enough.”

  “But it didn’t work. She found me out,” Josh pleaded.

  “You telling me you would have stopped of your own accord? Is that what you want me to believe, really?” She dropped his hand and turned
her head to the right, looking outside the window at passing cars while she hid her tears.

  “Damn it, Melanie. I’m a fucking dark angel! That’s what I do. Now you understand? You shouldn’t be anywhere near me.” Josh squeezed the steering wheel, and for a second, Melanie thought he would break it.

  “He didn’t know you then, Mel,” Felix added in a conciliatory tone. “He wouldn’t do that now. No way.”

  Both Melanie and Josh turned to the back seat and said in unison, “Shut up, Felix.” Then they glared at each other.

  “Fine, be that way. It’s like being home with my parents,” Felix retorted. He crossed his legs and arms and frowned, whispering something under his breath.

  Josh pulled to the side of the road. “Out.” He pointed to the sidewalk, glaring at Felix.

  “Have it your way, man,” Felix yelled. “Like I really want to be around when you two make up.” He got out of the car and slammed the door. Josh sped off, wheels squealing, garnering attention from people nearby.

  “I apologize, Melanie. It wasn’t necessary for me to get angry.”

  Melanie was quiet. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the whole situation now. Josh pulled into the parking lot. The shop gate was open and a couple was examining the potted cactus plants on the table by the front door. Everything looked normal. She almost wished she didn’t have the knowledge of Guardians and dark angels, of what a dangerous place the human world was, and what was at stake every day.

  Remember when my biggest problem was being lonely? Now everyone wanted a piece of her and no one wanted to share.

  She stopped Josh from getting out to open her door. “Wait a minute, please. I need to know something. If it weren’t for Peter, would you even be here right now?” She looked into his face and detected a flash of red light in the center of his black eyes.

  “He sent me, no denying that. But if I’d met you without Felix and Peter, would I have come back? Yes I would.”

  “Would you have come back to turn me, get me to go to the dark side?”

  “You’re the first person I did not want to turn. From the moment I met you, I wanted you to stay human.” He put his hand on her knee, “Melanie, I…”

  “You are going to need some time to formulate everything. I’ve got some decisions to make, too. If you don’t think he will hurt me, you need to give me a few days by myself to sort all this out, Josh. Don’t worry, I won’t speak about this to anybody.”

  She saw the pain and worry on his face. “Please, Joshua. Please give me this time.”

  At last, he nodded. “Three days. That’s all I can stand to be away from you. Just three days, okay?”

  Melanie watched his Hummer leave the parking lot, wondering what grim tasks he would be up to, glad she would not have to know about them. He had said three days was all he could stand to be away from her. She was fairly sure just one would be too long for her.

  Chapter 32

  Peter woke up to the sounds of rustling sheets and the unmistakable stink of recent sex. Never before had he gone to bed with it all over his body. He liked to take a shower after sex, but this morning was different. He frowned, but did not yet open his eyes. He wanted to see what was sticking his cock to the hairs inside his right thigh, but his attempt to sit up was retarded sharply at his wrists. He had been handcuffed to the posters at the top of his bed. Panic began to set in until he realized his ankles were free.

  “Shh. Shh. Don’t fret, don’t worry about a thing, sir.” Audray’s silky body was next to him, her knees parting, drawing one of his thighs towards her and massaging it with both of hers.

  “Why did you handcuff me? Take these off right this minute.”

  “I wanted to make sure I fulfilled the terms of my contract. You are such a busy, powerful”—her hands glided over his lower belly and flaccid penis—“man. I wanted to be sure you got your full twenty-four hours worth.”

  He sighed. Alarms were going off somewhere in the back of his head but he dulled them.

  This is new. His arousal told him this was something he should allow a little longer. He liked getting hard, even if he was dirty.

  “Ah,” she said as she worked his cock into the lethal weapon he hoped it would be soon. “Oooh,” she said after she tasted the head of him. He liked the idea she couldn’t get enough. And then it hit him.

  I am immortal. This can last forever.

  His cock lurched, seeking to plunder, seeking to force itself into her pink folds, if she would just give herself to him. He suddenly felt like he needed sex more than he ever had before, either as human or a dark angel. And he didn’t have to tell her that last night was his first time as an immortal. She would never know.

  He thought about what they had discussed last night between the lovemaking. Why couldn’t he remember what he’d said? Yes, there had been lots of RedEcstasy—was that why he’d told her things? He’d unloaded his soul to this woman who now wanted him maybe as much as he wanted her.

  He would have to fuck her silly for that transgression. He would have to make her forget. He had never felt this confident, this strong.

  “Sir,” she said as she climbed on top of him, balancing herself while just barely touching his lurching dick that sought its berth. “Thank you for my first time. I was a virgin before you took me so masterfully last night.”

  Dark Virgin? Why had he not noticed? Must have been the RedEcstasy. How could I have missed this?

  “You frown. You are unhappy with me?” She was pouting. It didn’t make any difference to him she was mocking, playing a part.

  “That’s right,” he said, almost losing his voice when she reached under and squeezed his balls. “You will pay for this. And you will pay dearly.” He grinned with the pleasure of the fantasy.

  “Will you hurt these?” she said as she squeezed her tits together. Her tight bottom sat briefly on his thighs when she arched up, looking down at him.

  “No. I couldn’t hurt…those,” he said with difficulty as she moved her wet sex over the length of his shaft.

  “Please,” she throatily begged him.

  “Alright.” He was beginning to see her game and he liked it.

  “Thank you. I shall be ever so grateful, sir.” She let loose of her enormous breasts and leaned forward, balancing her upper torso on her hands on either side of his head. She began to stroke his member again with her sex.

  “Peter, call me Peter, please.” It was all he could think to say.

  “But I fear I have not earned the honor to call you that. My performance has been—lacking.” She frowned again.

  He would have vaporized anyone else who mocked him so. But this he absolutely loved. He tried to think of how anyone would consider her performance lacking.

  “Your performance is…adequate.” He couldn’t get his mind detached long enough to speak, with all the blood pooling down between his legs. He felt like his cock was as big as his arm.

  Then she blew into his face and he started to ejaculate. He saw her gracious smile, such a sweet simple smile, but he couldn’t be afraid while he was spewing forth all over the underside of her. He felt sad for his member, working hard to lurch and point and stiffen enough to at least have one taste of her cunt. All this was to no avail. Audray lightly moved herself back and forth and all his cock got was an occasional kiss of flesh.

  He realized that’s why he had awakened to it sticking to his leg. He began to remember she had done this to him a dozen times last night. He briefly considered how dehydrated he must be.

  With the lurching and spewing over, he regained his mental faculties. “Untie me now,” he said with a booming voice that surprised even him.

  “Yes, we need to move to the shower. I need to clean off all evidence of my misbehavior.” She held his chin with her thumb and first two fingers, puckering his lips. “But you were perfect,” she said just before she covered his mouth with hers.

  He rather liked that thought. Perfect. And supreme. A
nd immortal. It was shaping up to be a rather nice morning.

  Chapter 33

  Audray looked down at Peter’s knees and hairy legs, splayed outside hers as she rested her back against his chest in the soaking tub. She was glad none of her friends were around to see her snuggle and soak with a man in a bathtub while he snored so loud the windows shook. But this had been a day of firsts. First lovemaking as a dark angel, although she would have to find another word for it. Lovemaking definitely didn’t adequately depict how far down she had had to debase herself.

  It wasn’t that the sex was so kinky. In fact, she would have preferred it be more so. No, she’d had to pretend to be his submissive. And at the end of the day, if she’d had the capacity, she’d have vaporized him without a care for the consequences. She’d never held a man while he cried, while he prematurely ejaculated, and while he babbled on about his miserable life in the Underworld. She learned today being a submissive wasn’t her cup of tea. She’d rather drown in a sea of RedEcstasy.

  It also bothered her that Peter told her things he didn’t have the sense to be quiet about, which was a threat to her comfortable life. If he ever did get his shit together, he would discover the knowledge she had about him was a threat to his power.

  And Peter was all about power. That was another first, bedding a man who wanted power. Not since her rape at sixteen had this occurred. Better to go without sex than have sex with someone who wouldn’t let her dominate, at least at first.

  She didn’t enjoy the physical sex with Peter, but she did enjoy the takedown. That part made the space between her legs tingle, in spite of the lukewarm water.

  She was getting cold, but if she added more hot water, he would wake up and she’d have to play mama again when she really hungered for a good clean fight. She wondered who in his human life was responsible for scarring him so badly, creating that insatiable hole in his soul for such a huge mother complex.

  All little men had one, she thought. True, he was relatively handsome in the usual dark way, and very tall, but small in courage. Audray felt she had more courage in her left breast than Peter would ever have. And now that she had won the battle, he didn’t want to fight anymore. He only gave lip service to his own protestations and demands that she submit.