Her Guardian Angel

by Felicity Heaton

  The flex of his muscles against her ripped another husky low moan from her throat and she relaxed into him, letting him have his way with her as he groaned hotly into her ear.

  “Harder.” That word leaving her lips surprised her and it must have surprised him too because he hesitated for a moment, his movements weakening, and then tightened his grip on her. He moved her on his cock, faster now, plunging deeper into her, and nibbled her shoulder. “Oh, more, Marcus.”

  It still wasn’t enough for her.

  It seemed it wasn’t enough for him either.

  He took hold of her ribs beneath her arms and then her breasts, squeezing and teasing them as he tried to move deeper and faster inside her, and then unleashed a sound that was close to a growl and pushed her forwards. He rose behind her, tipping her onto the bed with his cock still wedged in her body, and she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Her breasts swung as he took her, his fingers painful points on her hips, his cock thrusting deep and hard into her welcoming body, claiming and possessing her with strength that made her quiver. She moaned, lost in the way it felt to be at his mercy, to have his body within hers and be one with him.

  “Amelia,” he uttered breathily and with a hint of concern in his lust-laced voice.

  “More.” It was all she could get out. He wasn’t hurting her. She loved every hard thrust of his body into hers, the feel of his cock gliding in and out, and his passion for her. She wanted to release that desire and let him take it all out on her because she knew if he did, it would be bliss, her own personal Heaven.

  Marcus moaned with each deep rough plunge of his body into hers and she couldn’t hold out any longer. With a cry of his name, sparks chased over her and she arched forwards with her climax. It washed through her, satiating her desire, and Marcus kept thrusting, grunting her name with each meeting of their hips. He reared and plunged himself hard into her body as he found release, his throbs discordant with hers, sending another glimmer of satisfaction through her.

  He stayed there a while, hands locked on her hips, the pressure of his fingers gradually lessening, and then pulled her up to him, so her back was against his chest again. He kissed her shoulder, light warm ones that stirred her insides until she felt as though she was floating and teased a smile from her.

  “It was even better in the flesh,” she whispered and covered his hands with hers, slipping her fingers between them so he released her and held them.

  Marcus kissed her shoulder again, murmuring his agreement against it.

  How long did they have before they had to leave?

  Marcus had said a few hours.

  She smiled lazily, disentangled herself from him and turned to kiss him.

  She was going to make the most of every minute.

  CHAPTER 14

  Marcus had found it difficult to drag himself away from London and Amelia’s apartment. He could have spent forever there alternating between making love and just laying with her in his arms. Amelia had started to flag though and eventually he had dared to look at the clock and had realised with dismay that it was heading towards afternoon. After lunch at her place, they had packed some clothes into two small rucksacks and headed to the roof of the apartment.

  The flight to Paris had passed without a hitch so far, although the sun was hot against his back and his armour was beginning to feel less than comfortable. Amelia had been interested in her surroundings until they had started to cross the English Channel, and then she had turned her focus to him instead. It had taken several assurances that he wasn’t going to drop her into the middle of the ocean before she had dared to take a look at the vast sea below them. Once the coastline of France had come into view, she had started to relax again. It was difficult to carry her whilst she was wearing one backpack and holding the other in her lap and when they had reached land, he had dropped lower, to a height that still afforded Amelia a good view of the lush green countryside but was less dangerous for her.

  Amelia’s attention was all over the place now and she kept pointing things out to him, chatting about them in an animated fashion that relayed the excitement that he could feel flowing through her. He smiled at how full of life she was and how it felt to have her in his arms. Only a month ago, he would have seen having to carry a mortal as nothing short of punishment and a degrading task, but having her in his arms now felt like bliss. So much had changed in such a small amount of time. A month was barely a passing moment in his life but he had never felt as alive as he did right now, and he knew that it was Amelia’s doing.

  Paris rose out of the distant heat haze and Amelia’s grey eyes darted to it.

  “Is that it?” she said and he nodded.

  As they drew closer, the Eiffel Tower loomed into view, spearing the infinite blue sky.

  “We are heading there.” Marcus nodded towards it and Amelia’s eyes widened.

  “To the tower?” A smile lit her face and sparkled in her eyes. “That’s a bit romantic.”

  “We are meeting Einar and Taylor there later.” Marcus assessed the elegant dark grey metal tower as they approached it and then its base when it came into view. Tourists swarmed the massive square beneath it, moving in droves either flowing towards the tower or away from it along paths that crossed the bridge over the Seine towards the rows of fountains that led up the slope into the city or into the park on the other side. He would have to keep Amelia close to him so he didn’t lose her.

  He glanced at her.

  That wouldn’t be a problem. He wasn’t going to let her out of arm’s reach. He was going to keep her hand firmly locked in his the whole time from now on and not only because he wanted to protect her. The craving he had for the feel of her skin against his could only be satisfied by constant contact with her. It made him feel that she truly was his, and that made him feel like the luckiest angel in existence.

  “Take me up.” The sheer excitement in her voice led him to obey her command.

  Marcus beat his silvery wings and shot upwards, spiralling around the metal tower towards the top. Amelia giggled and held on to him, her hands warm on the back of his neck, and her fragrance filling his senses as the breeze washed over them both. When he reached the top of the tower, he hovered there a moment, giving Amelia a chance to take everything in. The city stretched around them, pale stone buildings shimmering in the heat, bustling with life and imbuing him with a sense of peace. He couldn’t hear the people from this height. The wind stole the noise from the world, lending another layer to the tranquillity he felt.

  It couldn’t hold his attention though. His gaze roamed to Amelia, her beauty entrancing him. How could he ever deserve such a beautiful creature? He didn’t right now, that was for sure, but he would do all in his power to become deserving of the woman holding on to him so tightly. He would become a good man for her, so she would love him and always be with him.

  “It’s beautiful.” Amelia leaned her head against his chest and held him tighter. “You said we’re meeting someone in Paris… another angel?”

  “Apollyon.” Marcus decided to leave out certain facts about the dark angel they were going to meet. It would only frighten Amelia if he mentioned that Apollyon had once guarded the Devil in Hell and that he would one day be responsible for destroying the world during the Apocalypse. “He lives somewhere in Paris now with his woman and has forsaken his duties, but he may still be able to gain me access to Hell.”

  “Hell,” Amelia echoed and he sensed her excitement fade.

  “Let’s not talk about this now.” Those words left his lips without him considering what he was saying. For the first time in his life, he wanted to forsake his duties too and just spend time with Amelia, getting to know her better. It was one thing watching someone from a distance and trying to understand them from things they said to others or things they did, but it was completely another to speak directly with them and learn about them from themselves, and part of him felt that they had a lot to learn about each other.

  “What do y
ou want to do?” There was a wicked edge to her look as her eyes met his and his heart beat harder at the thought of drawing her in for a slow passionate kiss.

  She beat him to it, pulling herself up with the arm around his neck and bringing her lips to his. His pulse raced as they gently grazed his, tender and far softer than he had wanted the kiss to be. The lightness of it did strange things to his insides, warming and lifting them until they flipped and giddiness ran through him. Amelia gently traced her tongue along his lower lip and it tingled, sending a shiver over his skin, and he groaned. He wanted more, harder contact between them, but didn’t at the same time. They had never kissed like this and he had never realised that such a bare meeting of lips could stir so much feeling within him. He was bursting with emotions, with happiness and desire, and most of all love.

  Amelia drew back, her gaze meeting his and holding it, and he stared into her eyes, lost in the affection shining in them and the feelings still sweeping through him.

  When she looked down, a hint of colour creeping onto her cheeks, Marcus blinked himself out of the trance she had put him under and descended slowly towards the park near the base of the Eiffel Tower.

  He landed softly on the grass there and gently lowered Amelia onto her feet. She put his backpack down on the grass and shrugged out of hers, and then smoothed her dark jeans and removed the cream jumper she had chosen to wear, revealing a plain white t-shirt beneath. She tied the jumper around her waist, taking her time over it. A rosy hue still stained her cheeks and her eyes sparkled when she finally looked at him. His heart pounded over the shy smile she gave him on seeing he was watching her and he wanted to tell her how radiant she looked and not to be embarrassed because he had been looking at her. She was so beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  She intoxicated him.

  Marcus had never felt so possessive and had never desired to protect something so much. It was impossible to ignore the feelings that she inspired in him now that he was becoming aware of their depth and how much he needed her. He constantly desired contact with her, wanted to touch her whenever he looked at her, and needed her smiles and her kisses. They were manna to him. They gave him strength enough to fight a thousand Hell’s angels or the Devil himself.

  He hungered to pull her into his arms and tell her everything he felt for her. She was becoming so much more than a mission to him. She was becoming his everything. He had never felt love before, at least not in this lifetime, and he wasn’t sure how to interpret his growing feelings for her or how to express them. If he told her that he thought he was falling for her, would it drive her away or make her happy? Was she falling for him too?

  Marcus caught her wrist, lured her to him, and kissed her instead, expressing without words just how he felt about her. Amelia was smiling when he broke away and looked into her eyes, the flush of colour on her cheeks darkening until they turned crimson.

  “How about dinner while we wait?” Marcus said and picked up his backpack. If he didn’t eat something, then he was going to eat her instead. He wanted her honey on his tongue again, needed to devour her, but they didn’t have time for an encore, no matter how much he wanted one. Einar would be arriving soon.

  Amelia nodded and looked around while she slipped the straps of her backpack over her shoulders again. “I need to put something cooler on. It’s even hotter here than it was in London. I think there are bathrooms at the base of the tower.”

  Marcus nodded too. While he was fine with using a glamour to change his appearance to everyone else, he didn’t want to use one on Amelia and she wouldn’t be comfortable dining with him while he was dressed in his armour.

  Although, she had been comfortable having lunch with him in the nude.

  He took hold of her hand, carrying his rucksack in the other, and led her across the grass to the Eiffel Tower. It was manic in the square below the huge structure, the swarm of tourists trying his patience, but it didn’t take him long to spot the bathrooms. Amelia let go of his hand and went into the female one, and he headed into the male. It was filthy but it would do as a changing place.

  Marcus went into one of the stalls, set his backpack down on the closed toilet lid, and focused so his wings disappeared. When they were gone, he sent his armour away with the exception of his boots, and then unzipped the bag. He changed as quickly as possible in order to spend the least amount of time in such an unclean environment. He rapidly followed his black trunks with loose fitting jeans and a white linen shirt with the top few buttons undone to allow some cool air to circulate and sleeves rolled up to midway along his forearms. He replaced each boot in turn with his black leather shoes and zipped his bag closed, and then headed back out into the busy square to wait for Amelia in the shade.

  She was right. It was even hotter in Paris than it had been in London, and while he hadn’t noticed it as they were flying and he was wearing only his armour, he definitely felt it now. Even the shade was hot. He slipped his finger down the line of open buttons on his white shirt to settle in the V above his chest and tugged at it, shifting it back and forth to fan himself.

  Amelia emerged from the bathroom and Marcus paused.

  She took his breath away.

  The small dark blue dress she wore clung to her torso, the neckline plunging deep enough to reveal cleavage, and then flared out from her hips into a short skirt that ended just before her knees. She had tied her shoulder-length dark hair up into a neat ponytail, revealing the full extent of her beauty to him, and had her backpack slung over one shoulder.

  He wasn’t sure what to say when she stopped in front of him and twirled, sending the skirt of her blue summer dress swirling outwards and revealing her thighs.

  “You like?” she said with a breezy smile and mischief in her eyes. “I’m guessing that look means you like it.”

  “What look?” He feigned ignorance and tried his best to look as though he hadn’t just been considering finding a quiet hotel instead of a restaurant. He wanted to eat her again, devouring every inch of her because she looked delicious and he was ravenous for her.

  She giggled, sidled up to him, and ran her fingers down the patch of chest he exposed by holding the front of his shirt. When she tilted her head back and looked up at him, her shiny lips parting at the same time, he gave up his pretence and snaked his arm around her waist and kissed her. It didn’t last nearly long enough.

  Someone bumped them and Amelia sighed, pulled back and frowned at the people around them.

  “Let’s get out of here.” She took hold of his hand.

  He wasn’t sure where they were going to eat. He had never been to Paris other than flying over it once or twice when on missions, and that had been a long time ago. It seemed Amelia had visited the city because she led him away from the tower and turned down the next street. Bistros and restaurants lined the quieter leafy avenue. Marcus tried to recall when she had visited Paris but the delicious smell coming from the first restaurant made it impossible for him to think. He almost groaned when Amelia scrunched up her nose at the menu outside and moved on to the next one.

  After the third restaurant, Marcus couldn’t take anymore. Amelia seemed intent on scrutinising the menus and the smells coming from each establishment had Marcus’s stomach growling louder and louder. He had expended a lot of energy flying to Paris and he was starving now that he knew food was close at hand. He looked at the next café along and used his superior hearing to listen in on the conversations. Most of them were in French. Locals using the place had to be a good sign so he dragged Amelia to it, ignoring her protests about not having seen the menu. She quietened when she spotted a free table outside and sat at it, hiding from the sun by a combination of the large cream coloured umbrellas that stood between the tables and the tall trees that cast cool shadows along the street.

  A waiter bustled over to them and spoke in French. Marcus had never mastered the language and the few things he did know how to say probably wouldn’t be much use. Amelia dived in and
said something, and then the waiter gave her two menus and moved to another table.

  “You speak French?” Marcus shifted his chair closer to hers at the small round metal table. He couldn’t remember her mastering a language.

  “Only school level stuff. Honestly, I’m surprised I can remember it.” She handed him a menu and frowned at her own.

  Marcus glanced down. It seemed fairly ordinary fare although there were some questionable items included, or the French to English translations were wrong. Either way, he was going to avoid the snails and other strange offerings.

  Steak caught his eye and his stomach growled. Meat would go a long way towards replenishing his energy.

  Amelia ordered for them and the waiter returned a moment later, carrying a tray with two tall icy glasses on it, as well as a bottle of water. He set the items down and disappeared into the crowd of patrons. Marcus picked up his glass of cloudy yellow liquid and sniffed.

  “Still lemonade,” Amelia said and sipped hers. “It’s heavenly on a hot day like today.”

  Marcus tried it and the zingy taste made his eyes pop wide. It instantly refreshed him and he found himself leaning back in his chair and savouring it. He tipped his head back, looked past the edge of the sun umbrella and up at the sky through the branches of the trees. It wouldn’t be long until Einar reached them. As much as he just wanted to spend some quiet time with Amelia, his mission had to come first.

  Their food arrived and Amelia fell into an easy conversation with him as they ate, questioning him in a coded manner about his life as an angel and talking about her life as a mortal, and the dreams she had for her future. It seemed so alien to him and so very human to be sitting at a restaurant in a new city with a woman who was stealing his heart.

  “What’s wrong?” Amelia said and Marcus realised that he had stopped eating and was looking at her.