by Cassie Ryan
“Amalya, I—”
“Stop.” She sliced the air in front of her with her hand. “Just be quiet for once and listen to me. If I invite you inside, I want to do it willingly.”
He had the distinct impression she was speaking about more than just inviting him inside her quarters.
“I want to have the choice and thus the responsibility for anything that comes as a result of that choice.” She stared into his gaze, her expression pleading for him to understand. “I want you to trust me enough to know what’s best for me and to allow me to make my own decisions.”
He thought back to all the decisions he’d made for her and winced as he realized that the majority of the time she would’ve made better choices for them than he had. He’d assumed he always knew better and had made not only circumstances much harder for them both but also hadn’t given Amalya credit for being the smart, capable woman he knew her to be. He cringed as he realized this was just another example of how he’d been an arrogant ass.
Her intense gray gaze burned through him and he sighed. “I can’t promise to change overnight. But I will do my best. I want you to invite me inside willingly because you know I love you, and you’re willing to let me be a part of your life no matter what happens in the future.”
A long silence stretched between them as she studied him. Levi’s stomach knotted as he waited for her answer. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if she turned him away. It had taken him so long to realize that his place was by her side, he hoped it wasn’t too late.
What felt like an eternity later, a smile curved Amalya’s lips. “Come in, Levi. I’ve been waiting for you.”
He let out the breath he’d been holding as relief and anticipation flooded his system. He stepped slowly forward, reaching out with his good arm to gently cup Amalya’s cheek and feather his thumb over her silky soft skin. “Thank you.” He knew she would take his whispered words as more than just gratitude for inviting him into her room.
She was his salvation from a lonely life spent in pursuit of nothing. She made him a better man, and he wanted to spend every waking moment he could with her, no matter if the world self-destructed around them. “I love you, Amalya. No strings, no stipulations, just me telling you you’ve captured my heart.”
She reached up and traced gentle fingers over his stubbled jaw, the slight touch sending gooseflesh rushing over him and warmth growing inside his chest. “I know you do, Levi. I love you too.”
“Despite your better judgment?” he teased, parroting her words inside Lilith’s chambers. He’d been shocked when she’d said those words, but now that he was past the first spurt of surprise, they humbled him. He vowed to spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of such an emotion from such a woman as the one who stood before him.
Her smile widened and she stood on tiptoes to brush her lips over his. “Definitely against my better judgment, but since I was the one who left the safety of the lair to follow you, I think my better judgment is impaired when it comes to you.”
He laughed against her lips and captured her close with his good arm. “Thank God.” He leaned down to meet her kiss, and she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him like she had back at the farmhouse—as if she were trying to brand him as hers.
Levi growled low in his throat as his cock hardened and blood rushed through his veins. It had been too long since he’d touched her. He needed to be inside her, to lose himself in the sweet heat of her surrounding him.
He let himself bask in the warmth of her soft curves against him, her hungry mouth against his, and the wondrous sensation of her fingers running through his hair.
Levi slowly walked her backward toward the bed as a wave of dizziness stole through him making him stumble. He probably needed to eat and sleep, but all that could wait until after he’d left Amalya boneless and satisfied. Right now there was only her.
She pulled back with a laugh. “Careful of that arm.” She turned him around until the backs of his legs hit the bed and then she gently undid the button and zipper on his trousers sliding them down his legs until the fabric bunched around his ankles. The cool air from the room hit his skin and he felt exposed and at a disadvantage standing in his silk boxer shorts as she raked her hungry gaze over him.
“Let me.” She grinned up at him as she sank down to her knees in front of him. She laid her small hand over his cock and arousal slammed him in the gut like a sledgehammer.
He sucked in a breath and prayed for strength. This woman had a way of stripping away all his control and she hadn’t even touched him skin to skin yet. When she leaned forward and laved a hot wet line over the silk, he stiffened.
“Relax, Levi. Let me pleasure you.”
Those simple words sent fire shooting through his veins and he had to swallow hard to maintain any semblance of his composure.
As she nibbled and stroked him through the boxer shorts, he allowed his eyes to slip closed and he threaded his fingers through her thick, silky hair. The honey gold strands were warm against his skin and he had a sudden vivid image of all that hair sliding over his skin, taunting him, teasing him.
A strangled sound escaped from his throat before he could stop it and Amalya’s throaty laugh told him she was enjoying every second of her erotic torture.
She fished her fingers up through the leg of his boxers to gently cup his balls, and the first hot bead of pre-come leaked out to be absorbed by the silk that still separated Amalya’s seeking mouth from his cock.
“Mmm. I can taste you.”
Those dark words burned through him and combined with the erotic sensation of the warm, welcoming heat of her mouth teasing him through the cloth barrier, he had to fight hard not to come.
“Not yet,” she murmured. “I want to feel you come inside me. I want to watch your face as I take you deep and see the ecstasy in your expression when you lose all control and spill inside me.”
He groaned, a low, plaintive sound that sounded much more desperate than he liked. Through pure willpower he fought back the slow tingling that had already begun deep inside his pelvis. He gulped in another breath as the sensation slowly receded but didn’t disappear. “Amalya.” He laid a gentle hand on her hair. “I can’t last like this. You’re going to kill me.”
Her pleased laughter feathered over him like gentle kisses and his entire body tightened. But then she slowly stood, whisking off her T-shirt over her head to reveal a simple white cotton bra that lovingly contained her ripe curves.
Levi fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching for her. She’d made it clear she wanted to lead, and he would do his bloody best to let her.
She unbuttoned the top several buttons of her jeans and pushed them down over her hips to puddle on the floor where she kicked them away.
His hungry gaze followed her shapely calves back up to her lovely thighs to find her smooth-shaven mons and the wonderful warmth that beckoned to him from between her thighs.
“Have I mentioned I love that you don’t wear knickers?” It was said in a worshipful tone that didn’t bother to hide his admiration.
When she laughed again, he traced his gaze up past her gently rounded stomach to the pale expanse of skin between her belly and her breasts. He had a sudden urge to kiss and lick every centimeter of that expanse until she was panting and begging him to plunge inside her.
The movement of her reaching between her breasts to unhook her bra caught his attention from that tempting expanse and he found himself riveted as he waited for her shapely breasts to be revealed to him.
As the material fell away and she dropped the bra to the floor behind her, the full creamy swells of her breasts were bared for his view. “Lovely . . .” he said in a reverent whisper.
Her large areolas were light pink with tight nipples that beckoned for him to suck them into his mouth and taste.
He must’ve leaned forward to do just that because she placed a restraining hand against his shoulder. “Not yet. Sit.”
Levi obediently sat, taking a moment to adjust his position to give his aching balls enough room so he could sit comfortably.
Amalya came forward and leaned over him to slowly unbutton his shirt. Her tempting scent rose around him, taunting him, just like the proximity of those lovely pink-tipped breasts that were close enough to reach out and touch. When she slid his shirt off his good arm and realized she couldn’t pull it off his injured arm without moving the sling, she left it and crawled on top of him, straddling him and grinding against him.
Her heat beckoned to him through the damp silk of his boxers and he reveled in the sensation of the smooth skin of her breasts sliding against his chest.
With his good arm he slid his fingers deep into her hair while she captured his mouth, kissing him hungrily until his head spun and he thought he might pass out from the exquisite sensations she sent shooting through him.
Amalya arched against him, rubbing her wet slit over his aching cock again and again until they were both panting and Levi was left once more fighting not to explode inside his boxer shorts.
When Amalya finally pushed up on her knees and reached through the fly of his shorts to fish his cock through the opening, he wanted to shout out his anticipation, but she continued to kiss him, devouring his mouth as if she would never get enough of him.
Finally, she guided him to her entrance, the tip of his cock brushing against the silky wetness of her pussy. She gasped as she sank down on him until only the head of his cock was inside her beckoning warmth.
He wanted to thrust up inside her, to feel her sheath his entire aching length, but he held back, letting her lead and enjoying the erotic torture she had decreed for them both.
Amalya slowly moved, teasing him, but not taking him any deeper.
Whenever she sensed him getting close, his breath backing up in his lungs and his body tensing under her, she would stop and allow him to regain his control before she would begin again.
She gasped, her skin shimmering with the golden glow from his pre-come as she continued to tease him.
He closed his eyes as the world began a slow spin as if he’d drunk too much brandy. His body suddenly felt sluggish, like it had tripled in weight, so heavy that he had difficulty keeping himself upright. Only Amalya’s warm weight kept him anchored.
What a wonderful way to die . . .
The thought teased through his muddled thoughts just as a loud knock sounded on the door, startling them both. “Levi, Amalya. I need to speak with you immediately.”
The urgency in Uriel’s voice made Levi’s gut clench. What had happened now?
Amalya frowned and brushed a quick kiss across his lips as she climbed off him and grabbed a silk robe off a hook fastened to the side of a large wooden wardrobe cabinet. “Stay right there. I’ll see what’s happened.”
Levi tried to reach out and grab the edge of the comforter and flip it over his lap to cover his erection that stood proudly where it protruded out of the fly of his boxer shorts, but his arms refused to respond to his commands. Panic threaded through him as he tried to move any body part and failed. Instead, he slowly sank backward onto the bed.
24
“The universe had better be on the brink of collapse,” Amalya grumbled as she stalked to the door. Her body still hummed with arousal and the wonderful pulsing energy from the skin-to-skin contact with Levi and the amazing bursts of power from his pre-come that always felt like mini-orgasms churning through her body.
She yanked open the door with more force than necessary just as Levi slumped backward on the bed, his cock still protruding from his boxers.
“I’m too late.” Uriel pushed past her as panic flashed through Amalya.
She rushed back to Levi’s side as Uriel laid a hand over Levi’s forehead. “What’s wrong with him?”
“The amulet that made him immune to your succubus nature doesn’t work inside Lilith’s lair. Only inside the human realm.”
The implications spilled through Amalya, sending icy shards of fear through her veins and squeezing her heart. “Dear God. I could’ve killed him.” She took Levi’s hand in hers, his skin cool to the touch. “I remember him swaying, but I thought . . .”
Uriel pulled the corner of the comforter over Levi’s lap. “He’s lost a lot of energy, but he’ll be fine with a few hours of sleep and some food. If it wasn’t for all that Archangel blood pumping through his veins, he would already be dead.”
Amalya sucked in a deep breath as Uriel’s words sliced through her.
He glanced back at her with a kind expression. “You didn’t know.”
She swallowed hard and sat down on the bed, not sure how to digest the information that she’d nearly killed Levi. “How did you know?”
“You might want to ask your sister. She and Noah found out too late when they returned to the lair.”
“Too late? But I thought Noah—”
“He’s fine but now indebted to Lilith. Talk to your sister, she can tell you everything. When she found out you’d both already left Lilith’s rooms, she was frantic. I told her I’d take care of it.” He glanced back at Levi. “As for him, I’ve bought his debt to Lilith for my own purposes, so I can’t have him dying on me.” He leaned down and brushed a gentle hand over Levi’s forehead and eyes.
Something glittering and golden seemed to pass from Uriel’s fingers into Levi’s skin, and Amalya watched Levi expectantly waiting for what would happen next.
Uriel’s low chuckle made her glance up. “You’ll be sorely disappointed if you’re waiting for some visible sign of the gift I’ve given him. I’ve made him wholly immune to succubus and incubus powers for the duration of his service to me.” He straightened and shrugged. “After that, it will be up to Lilith.”
As he said the queen’s name, pain flashed across his features and then disappeared. Amalya studied him with a frown. “She loves you, you know.”
Uriel stiffened and wouldn’t quite meet her gaze. “Yes, I know.”
When he didn’t say anything else Amalya slowly stood. “Thank you for helping Levi, and for . . . the gift,” she finally managed.
Uriel nodded and walked toward the open doorway. “Treasure each other,” he said before leaving and softly closing the door behind him.
Levi woke to the tantalizing smells of bacon and fresh bread. His stomach growled and he stretched as he realized he lay naked between soft sheets. He opened his eyes to find Amalya fully clothed, sitting by the bed watching him.
“Good morning.” The happy relief in her voice confused him until he remembered falling back in a boneless heap on the bed. He searched for some time reference to tell him how long it had been but found none.
“Morning.” He pushed himself up to sitting, leaning back against the wooden headboard as he motioned for her to join him on the bed.
She scrambled up beside him, her vulnerable expression reminding him of a little girl.
He traced his fingers over the soft skin of her cheek and couldn’t resist brushing a gentle kiss over her lips before sitting back to face her. “What happened?”
She swallowed hard, making him sure that something more than him passing out had gone on.
“I nearly killed you.” The last word ended on a choked sob and he reached for her, but she pulled back holding out a hand to stop him from touching her. She gained her composure quickly, taking a deep breath before meeting his gaze again. “The amulet from Lilith that gave you immunity to my succubus nature doesn’t work inside her lair.”
What a wonderful way to die . . .
His own thought came back to taunt him as he realized what had happened. A vague memory of Uriel at the door came back to him. “Uriel came to warn us.”
She nodded. “Apparently, Noah found out the same way, only he wasn’t as lucky.”
“Wait. I thought Noah—”
“He is. And it’s a long story for another time.”
Levi caught sight of his clothes draped across the end of the bed
and he remembered the box he’d retrieved from his room at Ashford House. “Can you hand me my suit jacket?”
Amalya frowned but did as he asked, handing it to him and then sinking down next to him on the bed.
Levi reached inside and found the picture. He cringed as he thought of the water damage, but when he pulled it out, it was pristine and perfect as the day he’d drawn it.
When he handed it to Amalya she frowned. “Where did you get this? It’s me.”
“I drew it. I saw you all those years ago stepping inside a carriage, and I couldn’t get your face out of my mind.” He smiled as he gazed into her beautiful eyes. “And now, several lifetimes later, here you are, and you’re real.”
He reached deeper into his pocket and pulled out the tiny box that rested there. “And I meant what I said in Lilith’s rooms. I love you, Amalya. I don’t know what the future holds for either of us, but if I—we,” he quickly amended, “can work out the details with Lilith, would you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?”
Levi opened the box and watched a look of surprise and delight flow over Amalya’s face. However, when he followed her line of sight, he realized she was looking at him and not the ring.
Moisture glistened in her eyes and she smiled at him. “You want to marry me?”
He laughed. “Hundreds of women would’ve given their right arm for this ring alone, attached to me or not, and that’s all you can say?”
She glanced down at the ring as if seeing it for the first time. “It’s beautiful.” She reached out to gently trace the royal blue rubies and sparkling diamonds with her fingertip before raising her gaze to his. “But so are you. And I’d rather have you.”
“Is that a yes?” he pressed.
A smile curved her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. “If you don’t change your mind before this is done, and we can work it out with Lilith, then . . . yes. Right now, you need to eat.” She motioned toward the table that was filled with more food than Levi could eat in an entire day. “I had them make a wide assortment since I wasn’t sure what you’d be craving when you woke up.”