“I need a shower,” he said.
“Okay…”
“And you need to remember how not to laugh when you say my name.”
At that, the giggle-fit resurfaced and she dissolved again. She laughed all through the motions of entering the bathroom, as he set her on her feet and started to strip, and after she was ushered under the hot spray of water.
By the time he had started soaping his skin, scrubbing away the grime from earlier, though, she had stopped laughing. There was something about the way water trailed down his sculpted chest that was distinctly unfunny.
Nor did she laugh when he took her mouth and pressed her against the shower stall wall, as he lifted her hips and explored her pussy with his fingers. A moan rattled off her lips at the sensation of his thumb against her clit, and by the time he had aligned his cock with her opening, she had forgotten entirely what she had been laughing about.
Campbell hissed against her lips as he buried himself inside her, the coarse hairs at his groin nudging her clit. “I love you, Varina.”
Her head hit the wall, a strangled gasp working its way free of her throat. “I love you too.”
He rotated his hips, dragging himself back until he slipped free entirely.
“Uhh…”
“What’s my name?” he asked, nudging her clit with the blunt head of his cock. “Say it.”
Varina squeezed an eye open. “Really?”
“You want me to fuck you, then say it.”
“I’m pretty sure you wanna fuck me just as much.”
“I can wait all night.”
Now both eyes were open, and she had a hand between them. “Can you?” she asked, wrapping her fingers around his length and giving it a good tug.
He trembled but didn’t relent. “Do you want to test me?”
Varina considered this, squeezing his cock again. Testing him could prove to be fun. Particularly like this—water beating down on him, his face flush, his naked skin pressed to hers. He resembled a once-feral animal trying hard to remain tame, and the effect was devastating. If she had learned anything the past few days, it was that Campbell was a creature of control, and his world maintained a delicate balancing act with chaos. All it would take was a little push, and he’d be in her world—the place she considered hers.
But Varina had spent too much time in that world. She was ready for control. Shared or fought for, she didn’t care. As long as it was theirs.
“Campbell,” she whispered, “please fuck me.”
He grinned. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”
His cock slipped down the folds of her pussy until he was back where he belonged, and he thrust home.
Varina rolled her head back and clung to him.
A girl could easily get used to this.
Epilogue
Campbell watched as Varina neared the headstone, feeling like an intruder.
There had been several moments like this over the last few days. When Varina had finally asked about Lina, he had been prepared for regret or guilt. Varina understood possession better than most—she knew her body’s actions were not her own, and that she could not be held accountable for what Legion had done when he had been in control. Still, there were certain things a person could not un-see or un-know, and the way her stepmother had been killed was among them.
But instead of guilt or acceptance, Varina had burst into tears.
Campbell hadn’t understood that, nor had he pretended to. He also hadn’t asked her to explain, not sure she could but completely sure it wasn’t his business. Not unless Varina decided to make it his business. Either way, he refused to push. He’d learned there were things people did with help and things they did on their own.
When she’d asked him to come with her to the family cemetery, all he’d asked was if she needed anything. She’d shaken her head, kissed him, and said she just needed him to be there.
So there he stood.
Varina drew to a halt beside the headstone. For a long moment, she seemed transfixed by the lettering, and he wondered if she would say anything at all.
Wondering, as he found himself doing even more frequently now, what she was thinking.
After the initial shock of Legion’s last attack had worn off, Varina’s mind had gone to other things. There was the adjustment, of course, to all that had occurred. A few random mishaps where she’d accidentally set something on fire with her newfound powers. Most of all, though, she seemed locked in a state of terrible grief, influenced by all she’d learned, how the narrative around her family had changed. That her father had died alone, having thrown Lina and his youngest child out of Mount Zion, and how his last actions in this world were to convey to Varina just how much he’d always loved her.
Campbell had found her on the balcony once, engrossed in her father’s last manuscript, her face a mess of tears. Another time he’d awakened alone, then followed the sound of her sobs to the bathroom, where she was trying hard to rein in her grief. At times, she’d shutdown in the middle of a task, stare off at some unseen point before her sadness caught up with her.
Campbell didn’t wholly understand, so he didn’t try. Varina’s relationship with her father had been complicated at best, but there was a lot of love between them. It had been plain in the dedication, and more so in Varina’s actions. That she had come here, so set on honoring his wishes. That she’d swallowed everything bad that had been their past and opened her heart to him, even after death. At some point, grief had to happen. For her, it was in the moments between the cleanup as she adjusted to her new world.
“Hi Dad,” Varina said at last, running her trembling hand along the headstone. Her voice shook the way it did before she broke. “I… I just wanted to say… I don’t know if you can hear me where you are. I’m still learning. “There’s so much I want to say. I don’t know if I’ll ever get it all out. But…right now, the thing you need to know is I’m not angry anymore. I just miss you. I’ve missed you a long time.” She sniffed hard, her words becoming hoarse. “And I wish I’d come home sooner, or that I’d been… Well, there are a lot of things I wish. Mostly, I wish I’d been able to tell you I forgive you to your face.” A beat. “For what it’s worth, Dad, you might not have been the father I deserved, but you’re the only one I ever wanted. Even after… Always.”
At that, Varina’s voice cracked completely, and she barked a small sob as her feet staggered back a step, then another and another. “Take care of Mom for me,” she said before she turned completely and met Campbell’s gaze.
“Okay,” she said, and smiled through her tears.
She looked so beautiful in that moment his chest hurt.
Campbell couldn’t help his feet from carrying him forward. “Are you sure? We don’t have anywhere to be.”
“I’m sure.” Varina closed the distance between them. She held his gaze a long moment, then lifted her head and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. “I’m ready, Campbell,” she said again.
He didn’t know why, but he was surprised. After everything, and perhaps even in spite of it, her words held both finality and hope. She feared the future—he knew she did—but she was excited to meet it as well.
Goddamn, he loved her.
And he thought, as he tightened his arms around her, as the world dissolved into a swirl of color, if he tried very hard, there was a chance that the day would come when he actually deserved her.
Until then, Campbell vowed to never stop counting his blessings.
Lilith had to give the parasite credit—young and stupid as it was, it had put up a fight. For the first while, every time she had cut her fingernails into her belly, the unborn brat had forced her out. It had taken time and strength to will her hand to stay where it was, but those were two things Lilith could spare. Now she could hold herself still, wiggle her fingers closer to the child before her arm would jerk and she’d be pulled back out.
The count was ten breaths now. These were slow, luxurious breaths—not rushed
or inelegant, panted or gasped.
And in each breath, the world around her blinked out of existence.
That was old news. A parlor trick. It had excited her at first, but it wasn’t the headline.
No, the headline was in those ten breaths, the other world became clear. The world to which Lilith belonged. It was right there, so close she could touch it. The bridge between realities was short. Soon, very soon, she would be home.
Lilith couldn’t help but grin. Lucifer, the fool, had locked her up, but he had done so not knowing she had the key to get out.
Once this child was born, once she was home, she might even give it a kiss.
Before she smashed its head open.
About the Author
Rosalie Stanton is an award winning erotic romance author in the paranormal and contemporary genres. A lifelong enthusiast of larger than life characters, Rosalie enjoys building worlds filled with strong heroes and heroines of all backgrounds.
Rosalie lives in Missouri with her husband and their dog, Luna. At an early age, she discovered a talent for creating worlds, which evolved into a love of words and storytelling. Rosalie graduated with a degree in English. As the granddaughter of an evangelical minister, Rosalie applied herself equally in school in the creative writing and religious studies departments, which had an interesting impact on her writing. When her attention is not engaged by writing or editing, she enjoys spending time with close friends and family.
Find Rosalie Online
www.rosaliestanton.com
[email protected]
Also by Rosalie Stanton
Sinners and Saints Series
Lost Wages of Sin
Sex, Sin and Scandal
Flip Side of Sin
Sins of the Flesh
Deliverance from Sin
Single Titles
A Higher Education
Firsts
In Heat
Hellion
Razor’s Edge
Captive
Blackout
Forbidden Fruit
Moving Target
An Intimate Friendship
Witness
Dark Solace
Coming Soon
Sinners and Saints Series
Sins of Omission
Cardinal Sins
Original Sin
Single Titles
Hellion
Echoes
He’s waited centuries for a woman like her. Too bad she’s the devil’s lover.
When Hannah was asked by a demigod to help end the world, she agreed without hesitation. Yet months have passed since the so-called apocalypse; the world is still spinning, the demigod in question is MIA, and Hannah finds herself doubting everything she thought was true.
After the world didn’t end, Gula, the Sin of Gluttony, was ordered by Lucifer to guard some random human. But like everything else with the devil, the reasons why weren’t clear. Gula has his own theories, namely that Lucifer got his freak on with a human for the first time in forever, which would be swell…if Hannah wasn’t the type of woman Gula himself has waited centuries to find.
A new assignment brings Gula closer to Hannah that he ever dreamed possible, and that’s dangerous for a whole host of reasons. When the girl you love happens to be the devil’s mistress, pursuing her is an excellent way to end up dead. But the more Gula tries to use his head, the more his heart gets in the way. And when the apocalypse-happy demigod shows up again, Gula discovers more than his life is on the line.
Disclaimer: This book contains scenes of violence and references to an abusive relationship.
Chapter One
“Did you get benched?”
Grayson Bailey looked up from the desk stationed outside Lucifer’s office, where he had apparently made himself at home. He seemed comfortable there, though the panic that crossed his face at meeting Gula’s eyes spoke plainly that he had not intended anyone to see him sitting there.
“Umm…” Grayson’s ears went pink. “What are you doing here?”
Gula arched an eyebrow. “I work here. Same can’t be said for you.”
“I-I work for Lucifer just as much as you do.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I think I work for him a little more.”
“No you—”
“Reverend, relax. I’m just yanking your chain.” Which was ridiculously easy to do, as Gula had learned in the months since his sister had fallen in love with the former human. “Seriously, though, what’s with the desk job?”
“Why do you care?”
Well, he hadn’t very much until that moment. Someone was in a snippy mood. Gula crossed his arms. “Really? That tone?”
“I just don’t want to deal with this today.”
“Then you picked the wrong time to be sitting there.” Gula pointed at the closed door that led to Lucifer’s office, which happened to resemble the Oval Office at the moment. “Don’t make me wait ’cause the boss man will just get cranky, and I’ll be forced to tell him you held me up.”
Grayson’s shoulders fell. “Gula, can we just skip this for now?”
“We could but that wouldn’t be very fun.”
Grayson didn’t answer for a few long seconds, but Gula could tell just by looking at him that the fight had ended. Were it anyone else, he might have felt bad for the guy. Of all the new additions to the Sin family, Grayson definitely received the most abuse. Granted, he didn’t do much to help keep himself from being made an easy target, but after a while, it just wasn’t sporting anymore.
Generally. This was an exception.
“I’m Lucifer’s new executive assistant,” Grayson said at last, looking thoroughly defeated.
Gula blinked. That, he hadn’t expected. “Huh?”
“Luxi and I decided it was for the best. I’m not really good at… Well, anything over here.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re hilarious.”
“Yeah, but not on purpose.”
“That’s what makes you hilarious.”
Grayson scowled. “I’m not good at being a Sin. In fact, I’m pretty terrible at it. And since we’re expecting a baby now, it seemed a good time to just…”
“Quit?”
“Put myself to good use elsewhere.”
“Uh huh. You realize this leaves us one Sin short of a full deck.”
Shortly after Grayson’s human life had ended, Lucifer had named him the Sin of Greed. As it turned out, coaxing an immortal man who had the brain of a human into doing some of Hell’s nastier work—especially when the man in question had been a preacher in a former life—was, well, difficult.
Grayson cleared his throat. “Umm, actually, the role has been filled already. Cassie is going to take my place.”
“Cassie.” It wasn’t a question.
“It…it makes the most sense. She has your—ahh—unique perspective—”
“Meaning she understands that sometimes humans die on our missions and that it’s really not a big deal.”
Grayson made a face. “It’s not fair to deprive anyone of life. I don’t see why this is controversial.”
“And yet you can’t seem to understand that life doesn’t end when a mortal croaks. You’re still around, aren’t you?”
“I’m a special case.”
Gula smirked and slapped Grayson’s shoulder. “Don’t let Ira hear you say that. He’d launch into a lecture about just how right you are.”
Grayson turned redder, if such were possible. “Yes,” he said tightly. “Can we not, you know, tell Ira about this? About my new position. He’ll just… He just stopped being an ass about Luxi being pregnant, and I don’t want to—”
“Grayson.”
“What?”
“You realize that Cassie is going to tell Ira when she gets a shiny new job, don’t you?”
Gula had never seen a man deflate before—or if he had, never so spectacularly as did his brother-in-law. The overpowering red drained away from Grayson’s face. His eyes
went wide, then dimmed.
“Shit.”
“Pretty much.” Gula grinned, went to slap his arm again, then decided to be extra obnoxious and go for the full head ruffle. There was something about the coifed, perfect look the guy always wore that demanded to be fucked up.
Grayson didn’t so much as put up a fight. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry. Ira will stop giving you shit one of these days.”
“You think?”
Gula shrugged. “Eternity’s a long time. He’s bound to get bored and move onto something else.”
“That’s not very encouraging.”
“The truth rarely is.”
With that, Gula offered a jovial wave, then turned to enter Lucifer’s office. He wasn’t surprised to see Ace on one of the sofas adjacent to the fireplace, nor was he surprised that his brother wore a sour expression. Ace would have arrived with two minutes to spare before the designated meet-time, and did not suffer delays well, particularly when the cause was that someone had gotten too chatty. That was because, as far as Gula was concerned, some fun-hating leech had latched itself to Ace’s ass sometime in the fourteenth century and had decided to stay.
Lucifer stood behind the desk. He didn’t look amused, either, which didn’t bode well for the meeting. The devil could be the best boss in the universe. He could also be every bit the monster people wanted him to be, at least when he was in a foul temper.
Which he had been for nearly a year.
“So kind of you to join us,” the devil said.
Gula hiked a thumb in the direction of the door he’d closed. “Got distracted.”
“We noticed,” Ace intoned.
“Hey, I didn’t expect to see Grayson here. Cut me some slack.”
“So you decided the optimum time to discuss his new arrangement was before our meeting?” Lucifer crossed his arms. “Please take a seat.”
Gula made his way over to the sofa across from Ace, biting his tongue.
Deliverance from Sin: A Demonic Paranormal Romance (Sinners & Saints Book 5) Page 30