For Want of an Angel

by Rosalie Lario

  “This.” She shook the hand he held, and he cocked a brow in question. Unable to stop the blazing heat that crept to her cheeks, she clarified. “Why do I feel fireworks every time we touch? Why do I react to you so strongly?”

  His face cleared and he let out a husky laugh.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I know.” He sobered. “I often forget how little humans know of angels.”

  Ah, so her suspicions were correct. This did have something to do with what he was. She gave an inward sigh. This thing between them would be so much easier to deal with knowing that her feelings weren’t based on any true emotion but rather a mere physical response to his species.

  “So all angels put off some sort of low-level vibrations?”

  Aaron frowned. “Yes...and no.”

  Samantha gave him a blank stare. “Explain.”

  His lips tightened as if he were trying to figure out how best to tell her what she wanted to know. Finally, he said, “No mere human can sense the vibrations an angel puts off with his touch. Only another angel, or a nephilim such as yourself, can.”

  While part of her wanted to instinctively argue his classification of her, it wasn’t really pertinent to the conversation. “Go on.”

  “It is, in a manner, our essences calling to each other. Angels can instinctively sense other angels or nephilim, and those of us who are unmated can recognize others without mates. The vibrations you feel when we touch affirm our compatibility. Since the mating process preserves our strength and immortality, it is nature’s way of ensuring that we find our perfect match.”

  “You need to mate to remain immortal?”

  “Yes.”

  Wow. That was something she doubted most humans knew.

  “Us angels—and nephilim too—feed off each others’ essence. Without a mate, we will eventually grow old and die. It would take several hundred years, but it is still a very real concern, especially for us Fallen. The majority of us are unmated.”

  The full meaning of his words suddenly hit Samantha hard.

  “Wait a second.” She tugged her hand out of his and slid back on the couch. “You’re saying that we’re like soul mates or something?”

  Aaron’s mouth ticked up in obvious humor. “Why do you sound so horrified at the prospect?”

  “Listen.” Her voice shook, and she cleared her throat before continuing. “I don’t believe in true love or soul mates, or any of that nonsense.”

  He laughed and sat back. “It’s more that we are potential mates. Zach and Jason felt the pull of your essence as well.”

  That made her blink. “They did?”

  “Yes, and were you to touch them, you would feel similar vibrations. Hopefully not as strong, but similar.”

  Huh...interesting. “So why are you here and not them?”

  Aaron’s lips pressed together and his eyes darkened. “Disappointed, are you?”

  “No!” She winced at the unintended vehemence in her tone. “No, just curious.”

  “Your essence called to me above the others.”

  “Uh...huh?”

  Aaron sighed and leaned forward. “Simply put, I wanted you the most.”

  His earnest words sparked a rush of desire she had to fight to suppress. Just because he admitted he desired her didn’t mean she was going to fall into his arms, no matter how hot he was. “I...I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything, Samantha.” When he closed his fingers over hers once again, she didn’t have the strength to resist. Not when he stared at her like she was a yummy treat he’d like to devour. “I know you feel the pull just as much as I do.”

  “I...” She couldn’t deny that. Not when his mere touch made her body explode with desire. Not when simply looking at him made her thighs grow moist. Even forcing herself to sit across from him rather than jump him as she longed to took a level of strength she hadn’t known she had.

  “You’re a strong woman, and I admire that,” he said. “It must have taken tremendous force of will to live under the radar the way you and your stepfather did for so many years.”

  “Yes.” He was right on that count.

  “Don’t you ever get tired of fighting? Don’t you wonder what it would feel like to have others to depend on? To be taken care of for once?”

  His words sparked a recognition that she’d tried to hide from herself. It was so hard, so lonely, to be on her own. Ever since Harry had died, she’d found herself pushing her limits, pulling off riskier jobs. Maybe in a way she’d wanted to get caught so she wouldn’t have to go on being so alone.

  What if she let go for once? Even if just for a night? Sure, part of her wondered whether she could really trust him, but if he’d meant her true harm, wouldn’t she have come to it by now? Instead he’d treated her with nothing but kindness. Told her the truth, even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to believe it. Maybe, just this once, she could indulge in her true desires.

  “Aaron?”

  “Yes?” he said, the words forming off his lips like a soft caress.

  Deep down, she recognized that she wasn’t thinking clearly right now. That her intense desire for this wickedly handsome angel had clouded her senses. She didn’t care. Before she lost her nerve, there was one thing she wanted to do.

  With her free hand, she reached forward and tugged his head down, molding her lips to his. He made a soft sound of surprise and stiffened before finally returning her kiss. Sparks of electricity seared her skin where their flesh made contact, drowning her body in sensations she’d never before experienced.

  One thing was for certain. Whatever else happened between her and the gorgeous Fallen who was proceeding to kiss the breath right out of her...

  Right now, she was in heaven.

  Chapter Five

  If there was one word to describe his future mate, it would have to be ballsy. The fact that she’d dared to kiss an angel said that loud and clear. While Aaron supposed it spoke to a measure of her innate trust in him, it also made him uneasy. He didn’t want to screw this up. Not when he was playing for keeps.

  Yet, now that her lips were pressed against his, now that her luscious body had molded itself to him, how could he turn her away?

  The simple fact was he couldn’t. He wanted Samantha too badly.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he guided her onto his lap. She came without question, straddling him while her questing tongue found and tangled with his. She smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, an entrancing combination of spicy but sweet. Had he ever wanted anyone more?

  Not even Elena, the mate who’d betrayed him when he chose to fight for mankind, had inspired such arousal. It frightened him.

  Now that he’d found Samantha, he couldn’t bear to lose her. Which meant they had to slow down, before they did something she would later regret.

  “Wait,” he said, breaking off with a gasp, but when she ground herself against his rock-hard length, her blue eyes clouded over like a thick summer storm, he lost the will to fight this thing between them.

  “Don’t stop now,” she whispered.

  “No. I won’t.” Scooting her off his lap, he gently laid her back on the couch. How beautiful she looked like that with her blonde hair curling over her shoulders and her long, tanned legs peeking out from the T-shirt she’d changed in to.

  “That looks a million times better on you than it ever did on me,” he said in a low, husky tone.

  She let out a soft laugh and reached for him. “Come here.”

  How could he refuse such a request? Sliding forward, he rested a hand on either side of her shoulders, supporting his body weight while he ravaged her mouth. She moaned and wrapped her legs over his hips, maneuvering him down so he rested against her with his arousal pressed to her womb.

  By all that was holy, she felt so amazing. He wanted more of her.

  “Please,” she whispered, the sound barely escaping her lips.

  He slid one shaking hand down her side, finding th
e hem of the shirt she wore and slowly lifting it so he could feel the silky skin beneath. Currents of electricity crackled where his fingers met her flesh, contracting his muscles and making him harder than he’d ever thought possible.

  She let out a low moan. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  Aaron lifted his head so he could meet her eyes. The sight of her moist, bee-stung lips and flushed cheeks almost undid him, but he forced himself to ask, “Do you want me to stop?”

  Her eyes focused in on him and her brows furrowed. For one frightening moment he feared she would say yes, but then she said, “Not a chance.”

  “Thank God.” Pressing his lips to hers once more, he allowed his hand to migrate further inside her shirt. She gasped when his palm closed over one breast, as full and plump as he’d imagined. Her stiff bud grazed his palm, and it was his turn to groan. Heavens, but her scent, the feel of her, was so enticing. Why had he ever thought to take things slow?

  He allowed his hand to move back down her body until his fingers grazed the black thong panties she wore. The soft, cotton material was practical, but arousing nonetheless. He nudged them to the side and slid his fingers along her crease, hissing at the wetness he encountered there. When her hips jerked up, he knew what she sought. Using his forefinger, he plucked at the nub near the entrance to her womb.

  She let out a low cry and her legs tightened over his thighs. “More.”

  Her unabashed greed turned him on even more than it amused him.

  “You don’t want me to stop?” he teased.

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Her words came out a soft little growl that only increased the pumping of blood to his nether regions. She would be a tigress in bed. He should have suspected his sneaky little cat burglar would do nothing halfway.

  He slowly slid his finger inside, reveling in the way her walls clamped around him. So wet. So tight.

  “Please,” she whispered again.

  Ignoring her croaky protest, he moved his hand away long enough that he could hike her shirt up under her breasts. Taking one of the plump globes into his mouth, he resumed his ministrations below. Heavens, but she tasted sweeter than manna. Richer than the creamiest of chocolates.

  In and out his finger slid, sparking a rhythm that soon had her gasping for breath. Her soft moans morphed into sweet little cries that made his cock twitch with hunger. He wanted to be inside her more badly than he’d ever wanted anything before.

  But not before he made her explode in ecstasy.

  Two more soft strokes was all it took for her back to arch upward, spilling more of her generous mounds into his mouth. Her thigh muscles tensed around him, clasping him tight while she cried out her release. He lifted his lips to hers, hungrily swallowing the sound of her ecstasy. His mate was so much more responsive than he could have hoped for. He could only imagine the sounds she would make when he was deep inside her.

  Which would be in about twelve seconds, if his greedy member had its way.

  Aaron lifted slightly off Samantha so he could meet her gaze. She smiled up at him, her eyes half-closed in sensual languor. He opened his mouth, about to ask her whether she was okay, when two soft thumps from the balcony made his whole body tense.

  Damnation. He’d been so caught up in his mate that they’d almost managed to land without him even taking note.

  Then it hit him. They were about to witness his mate in this state of semi-undress, her body soft and pliant from his attentions and the air scented with the sweet scent of her arousal—yet still unmated. It was bound to drive them insane with lust.

  Sitting further up, Aaron tugged Samantha’s shirt down to cover her breasts. Frowning, she rose up onto her elbows. “What’s wrong?”

  “My brethre—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, the door leading out to the balcony slid open and Jason and Zach slid inside. From the way the two men kept their gazes averted and their postures stiff, they had clearly sensed his mate’s high level of sensual excitement.

  Scented her arousal.

  A growl rose up in his throat and instinct took over. He rose to his knees without thought, ready to spring forward.

  *****

  The cloud of contentment Samantha rode dissipated in one fell swoop. Stunned, she stared up at Aaron’s furious face. Her gentle, caring lover had disappeared, in his place a stunning feral warrior. She’d understand if it was two unknown men he faced, but it was his friends—other Fallen.

  “Hey.” With only the slightest bit of hesitation, she placed her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

  His low growl subsided and he shot her a quick glance, his expression hard.

  “Apologies, brother,” Zach said, casting his gaze to the ground in a clear show of submission. “We didn’t want to disturb you, but we were almost spotted on our way out of the city and felt the need to return to hiding.”

  “Believe me,” Jason said, also keeping his gaze averted, “we wouldn’t have returned had we not felt it absolutely necessary. The next closest safe house is hours away.”

  Okay, she didn’t really know what was going on here, but the three men were throwing off waves of energy that ricocheted throughout the whole room, buffeting her body with harsh, confused vibes. Lust, anger, possession...all those emotions hit her as clearly as if they’d been projected onto her—with an intensity that made her skin crawl.

  “It’s okay.” She pushed on Aaron’s stomach in an effort to move him off her so she could tug her shirt down and stand, but he was like a freaking steel beam. Only when she doubled her effort and dug her nails into his flesh did he budge. “Isn’t it, Aaron?”

  He visibly fought to loosen his tension, finally releasing it with a beleaguered sigh. “Yes.”

  Yet Zach and Jason still refused to look her way, and Aaron didn’t seem one bit happy. The reason for that hit her in one sudden flash. Not more than half an hour ago, Aaron had confessed to her that they all felt the pull of her essence. If that was the case, they might very well sense that she and Aaron had almost just...

  Oh my God.

  Certain her face had turned a mortified shade of red, Samantha jumped off the couch and smoothed her shirt down over her thighs. She made a show of glancing out the window. “Well, it’s really late...uh, early. Guess I should go get some sleep.”

  When none of the men responded, she mumbled a quick good night and raced toward the bedroom.

  Holy crap, she couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  Throwing herself down onto the bed, she allowed her thoughts to consume her. She’d almost made love to Aaron. A freaking angel, for heaven’s sake!

  But no, not just an angel. A man. A delicious, heartbreakingly handsome man whose every touch made her whole body shudder. Given that no one had ever made her feel that way before, was it really so unforgiveable that she’d allowed herself to indulge in his erotic attention?

  No, she didn’t regret offering herself to him. Life was for living, for taking risks, and what better risk than a night of passion spent in a yummy angel’s arms?

  But she didn’t kid herself, one night was all it could ever be. Not even she was crazy enough to think anything else was a possibility.

  So she’d treasure the memories she and Aaron had created this night, and she’d hear out his request for aid as she’d promised...but that was all she owed him. Because if there was one thing she knew, aiding a Fallen was a bigger risk than even she was willing to take. So once she completed her promise to Aaron...

  She’d be gone.

  *****

  Aaron paced the length of the small living room, staring with frustration at the burgeoning sunrise that kept him and his brethren imprisoned in this tiny apartment. He was vaguely conscious of Jason and Zach doing the same, the three of them pacing throughout the room like lions trapped in a cage far too small for them. They hated to be confined just as much as he did, a remnant of their time spent in the tiny hut that had almost been there undoing. Unb
idden, the shadows of wicked, torturous memories overtook him.

  Acrid smoke filled the tiny wooden hut that served as their prison. Straw lay packed in bundles around and even underneath them—the better to engulf the flames that lapped at the straw-hewn floors and walls. Aaron choked on a smoke-filled breath, heat searing his lungs. Why was he so weak? How had they gotten in here? They must have been drugged. Dragged here. Left to perish in anguish and horror.

  He yanked on the chains binding him to the post hammered into the ground, but it was no use. He was going to die here today. They all were.

  The croaky voice of his closest friend, Zach, sounded out from right beside him. “Pull harder.”

  “All of us on the count of three,” stated Michael from what sounded like a couple feet away.

  Aaron blinked back the soot that coated the charred remains of his lashes. Blindly he waited for Michael’s signal. When it came, he tugged as hard as he could on the chains. The harsh grunts and groans that filled the air told him that his brethren—those of them who were still conscious—were doing the same, but it was no use. The pole wouldn’t budge.

  Hopelessness and despair filled his body, buffeting him with more pain than the flames licking at his flesh. It was useless. They would meet their death today. And even worse than the knowledge of that was the fact that his mate Elena had agreed to consign him to this fate. How little she had ultimately cared for him.

  The pat of a hand across his back roused Aaron from the memories of his past. Zach’s voice sounded out, shattering the silence that had filled the room since Samantha had fled.

  “Apologies again, my brother. We would not have returned had we been able to help it.”

  “I know,” Aaron said softly. His brethren knew better than anyone how important it was for each of them to be mated. And Zach in particular knew how much Elena had broken his heart. It was Zach who had forcibly stopped him from going back for her after the twelve of them had managed to break free from their prison.

  “She’s not worth dying for,” Zach said as he tugged on Aaron’s arm, preventing him from flying back toward the village where Elena resided.