The Rest of Forever: A Guardian Angel Paranormal Romance

by Carrie Pulkinen

  “Thanks. But, can you make the dress lavender? It’s her favorite color.”

  She tilted her head to the side and grinned at him.

  “What?”

  “Oh, nothing.” She touched April’s hand, and color saturated the dress.

  He could see why she loved the color so much. She was beautiful in it. “How long do you think she’ll be out?”

  “An hour or two.”

  Damian nodded. “I’ll wait with her.”

  “I know.” She gave him a knowing smile, turned and glided away.

  “Oh, April May. What am I going to do with you?” He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her cheek. He knew he shouldn’t. He had no right to run his fingers through her silky strands of crimson. But the warmth of her skin, the softness of her hair only made him want her more.

  How he longed to touch her like this when she was awake. When she could touch him back. Not that she ever would. Not after the way he’d behaved.

  He needed to start using his head. Falling in love was the last thing he needed, but it was exactly what he was doing.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Agony throbbed through every limb, and her head pounded with so much force she thought it might explode. April tried to cry out for someone to help her, but she couldn’t breathe. Was she dead again? Would she wake up, or was the pain her eternal punishment? Every bone was broken, every muscle bruised. Anguish paralyzed her. The intensity increased, throbbing harder and harder, and when it reached the point that she couldn’t take it anymore, it ceased. Sweet relief flooded through her body.

  She floated through the night sky, coming closer and closer to consciousness. The twinkling stars above reminded her of the light that was sure to be pulling her out of Slumber soon. She fought the urge to open her eyes, but a warm touch trailing down her skin fully awakened her.

  She knew it was Damian. Who else would it be? His warm, masculine scent wafted around her, and she hoped he hadn’t noticed her breath catch when she awoke. His touch was tender, caring. Warm shivers ran down her spine when he stroked her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead.

  She could have lain there like that all day, basking in Damian’s sensuous touch. She knew when she opened her eyes, the tender moment would cease, so she forced them shut a little longer, memorizing the feeling of his hands on her skin.

  When she finally allowed her lids to flutter open and smiled at him, he shot off the bed like he’d been bitten by a snake.

  “What in Heaven’s name were you thinking Jumping into the middle of the road like that?” While his voice held a touch of his usual anger, his eyes held nothing but compassion.

  She swung her legs over the edge and perched on the side of the bed. “I didn’t mean to. I was shooting for the opposite side of the road, but I guess I underestimated the distance.”

  “You think? You have to be more careful.”

  Pounding pain shot through her temple, and she pressed the heels of her hands against her forehead to subdue it. “Why does my head hurt?”

  He forced out an exasperated sigh. “You were run over by a truck. The pain’s in your imagination. It’ll go away in a while. I can’t believe you did that. That poor trucker thinks he’s crazy now.”

  “Would you lay off?” The pain in her head subsided, but Damian was intent on being a pain in her neck. He was trying to drive her away, to act like he didn’t care for her. But the tenderness in his touch when he thought she was in Slumber told a different story. And then there was her dress.

  Lavender. Mira would’ve dressed her in white.

  Her heart fluttered, a smile tugging at her lips as she smoothed the silky material down her legs. “Nice dress. Thank you.”

  “You know what? You just...oh, never mind.” He threw up his hands and marched through the door.

  She stole a quick glance at his backside as he stormed away. Delectable. But his mood swings were making her seasick. Why wouldn’t he just pick a way to treat her and stick with it? She’d have preferred he be mean to her all the time rather than getting her hopes up only to shoot her down.

  Well, no she wouldn’t.

  She stroked the soft dress one more time and looked up to find Mira standing next to her.

  “How are you feeling, dear?”

  “Like I’ve been run over by a truck.”

  Mira smiled and wrapped her arm around April’s shoulders. “The pain will cease soon. How about your heart?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “How are things with Damian?”

  She let out a cynical laugh. “That’s a good question. One minute he acts like he hates me, and the next minute I think he might actually care for me. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

  Mira pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I don’t think he knows either.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She sighed. “Be patient with him. He may seem strong and confident on the outside, but on the inside he’s quite fragile. If you’re feeling better, you are free to go.”

  “But...”

  Mira disappeared in a flash of warm light.

  April pushed off the table and shuffled to the door. She wasn’t going to let one little mistake stop her. Even if the mistake had flattened her like a pancake. Her pride wouldn’t let her go back to Damian until she was sure she could cross over on her own.

  When she exited the building, she cut around the corner to a secluded spot and tried again. She pictured the road by the rice field in her mind, and she Jumped to the exact spot she’d hoped for.

  That wasn’t so hard. She crossed back to the Angelic Realm, and had to try one more time, just to be sure it wasn’t a fluke. She made it to the road and back again like it was nothing. Easy.

  Damian was distracting her before. That was the problem.

  Excitement bubbled up inside her. She could go back to Earth any time she wanted to. How cool was that? She could check on Momma and Shelly and make sure Alex and the rest of her students were doing okay. She hadn’t lost them after all.

  With her confidence restored, she Jumped to Damian, who was lying in the field behind his house. With his hands behind his head and his ankles crossed, he stared up at the bright blue sky, lost in thought. Sunlight glinted off his shiny hair, and his white shirt stretched tight across his chest, hinting at the chiseled muscles lying beneath. Her heartbeat quickened at the sight of the Angel in the grass. If only she could get inside his head and figure out how he really felt about her.

  * * *

  Damian stared up at the clear, blue sky, but all he saw was April’s face. The rosy glow of her skin. The perfect pink bow of her lips. His hands trembled with the need to be back in the sanctuary caressing her soft, supple body.

  He felt her presence before he saw her, and he rose up on his elbows as she made her way toward him. She was a vision in the lavender gown that hugged her curves, revealing a slender waist and full breasts. His fingers ached to touch the soft, warm flesh. His mouth watered to feel her nipples harden like pebbles under his tongue.

  He smiled when she knelt on the grass beside him. She placed her hand on his chest, and he sucked in a sharp breath as the jolt rocked through his core. How could she affect him like that with a simple touch?

  “I’m sorry I screwed up. I promise it won’t happen again.” She started to move her hand, but he covered it with his, holding it against his body. He needed her touch more than he liked to admit. More than she would ever know.

  “I’m sorry I was so hard on you. It was your first time. Every other Guardian’s had years of practice by the time they reach thirty. I forget how new all of this is to you. You’re unique, April. You’re special.”

  Her cheeks flushed with color, and she grinned. “I can do it now, though. I’ve been practicing.”

  Of course she had. She was the most determined person he knew. “Do you want to show me?”

  “Okay. But I want to try something first.” She rose to her feet, and her g
own turned gleaming white. “Stay here.”

  Yeah, right. He knew that look in her eyes. She was up to something, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let her do it alone.

  April Jumped, but he could follow her. As long as he stayed in The In-Between, she’d never know he was there. She hadn’t learned to sense the Angelic plane from the Earthly Realm.

  He recognized the room immediately. Bookcases lined the walls from ceiling to floor, and a long mahogany desk sat off to one side. A man sat in a high-back leather chair, facing the wall, and April stood across from the desk—in the flesh.

  What did she think she was doing? This was sure to get them both in trouble.

  Jared finished his phone call and turned around. He froze when he saw her standing there; the phone dropped to the floor.

  “A...April?” Fear spiked in his voice, but he still didn’t move.

  She put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Shhh.” Then she giggled and Jumped back home.

  Jared blinked. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. Then with trembling hands, he picked up the receiver and put it back in the cradle.

  Damian groaned and Jumped back to find April sitting on the sofa in their living room with a smug smile on her face.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing? You...you can’t do that. It’s against the rules.”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know there were rules. No one told me. Besides, Jared needs to learn his lesson somehow.”

  He raked his hand through his hair and paced the room. This woman was going to be the death of him. “You can’t show yourself to people who knew you when you were human.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, because.”

  “Because why?”

  “It freaks them out. You’re dead. Angels are supposed to protect people, not mess with their minds.” The sharp tone of his voice startled him. He didn’t mean to yell at her, but sometimes she was so stubborn.

  “He deserves it.” Her gaze fell to her hands folded in her lap.

  He sank to the floor in front of her, resting his hands on her knees. “Look, April. I know you’re hurting.”

  She inhaled deeply and looked into his eyes. Tears welled up, threatening to spill over, but she blinked them back. “Do you know how long he was cheating on me? Tell me.”

  He exhaled sharply and shook his head. “Do you really want to talk about this?”

  “I need to know.” Her voice was a whisper across her lips.

  He closed his eyes for a long blink and looked up at her sad eyes. The pain he saw there ripped at his heart, and he wanted more than anything to make it go away. To show her she deserved so much better. To be the man she deserved. “Five months.”

  She sucked in a shaky breath and nodded. “And you knew all along?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? You were pretending to be human for three months. In all that time, you couldn’t find a way to tell me?”

  “Would you have believed me?”

  Her silence was answer enough.

  “And I did try to tell you. Every time you had doubts. Every time you confronted him, and he gave you excuses. I planted those thoughts in your head. But you wanted to believe him so badly, you accepted any story he told you. I tried, April. I really did.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What Jared did was wrong, and he needs to learn his lesson. If seeing the ghost of his dead girlfriend is what it takes, that’s what he’s going to get.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window.

  He slid onto the couch, so close to her their thighs touched. Without thinking, he put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. It was how he always comforted her before—from The In-Between. Why should it be any different now?

  He didn’t expect her to come to him so easily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please hold me, Damian. I need you to hold me.”

  He was more than happy to oblige. He pulled her into his lap and held her tight as she cried. She felt so good in his arms. So right. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head as her warmth consumed him. He’d comforted plenty of Charges over the years, but never in all his life, had a Charge provided so much comfort in return. Guilt twinged in his gut; he was enjoying the moment, while she was in pain.

  He didn’t know how long he held her, but they both dozed off in the warmth of each other’s arms. When he woke, the sun had already set behind the hills, and April still clung to him.

  She needed Slumber if her energy was to regenerate properly. And though he hated to let her go, he knew she needed to be in bed. He slipped his arm under her legs and inched forward enough so he could pick her up. The movement roused her from her sleep, and she hugged him tighter.

  “Don’t leave me.” She looked up at him, and her tear-stained cheeks broke his heart.

  “You need to rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

  “No. Please, Damian. I need you.”

  She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. Heat flashed through his body like lightning, and when she parted her lips he had to taste her. She was sweet, like honey; he couldn’t help but drink her in. And when she broke the kiss to look in his eyes, he pulled her back for more.

  She pulled away with a small gasp that left him breathless, and straddled his lap. Trailing kisses down his neck, she slid her hands underneath his shirt. Her touch raised goose bumps on his skin, and he shivered with the need to be with her.

  He wanted her. He wanted her so badly, he could hardly stand it. But not like this. Not when she was reacting to hurt caused by another man.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her back. “We can’t do this. Not now.” The sting of rejection in her gaze almost made him change his mind.

  “Why? I want you, Damian. Don’t you want me?”

  “More than you can imagine. But you’re hurting. If we do this now, you’ll regret it. And I don’t want you to have any regrets when it comes to me. Okay?”

  She nodded and blinked back the tears that threatened to flow from her emerald eyes.

  “Come on.” He lifted her from the sofa and carried her across the room. “Let’s get you to bed.”

  Soft moonlight spilled through the open window, basking the room in silver. He slipped her under the covers and kissed her forehead. “Good night, April.”

  She grasped his hand and pleaded with her eyes. “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

  He shouldn’t. Not if he wanted to make it out of this with his heart in one piece. But the pain in her gaze held him there. He couldn’t leave her. Not when she needed him so badly. Charge or no Charge, he couldn’t stand seeing April hurt.

  “Okay, sweetheart. I’ll stay.” He crawled into bed with her. And with her back pressed to his front, he wrapped his arms around her and held her through the night.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  She’d never felt more secure in her life. The warmth that embraced her felt like a dream, and she wasn’t ready to leave the safety of her Slumber. But the morning sun cascading through the window called her to start the day.

  She rolled onto her side, opened her eyes, and found herself face-to-face with her Guardian Angel. Her chest tightened at the sight of him lying next to her, her heart fluttering against her ribs.

  “Hey.” His voice was raspy with sleep, and his concerned gaze caught hers.

  She smiled and reached for his hand. “So it wasn’t a dream. You stayed with me all night.”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you. Umm...I’m sorry for the way I acted. For...you know.”

  He laced his fingers through hers, and pulled her hand to his chest. “It’s okay. You needed me, and I comforted you. Just like I’ve done your whole life.”

  “Of course.” Because it’s your job. She pulled her hand from his grasp and rolled out of bed.

  “I’ll always be here fo
r you, April.”

  “I know.” She smiled halfheartedly and changed her clothes. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, but it had the opposite effect. She needed him to be there for her because he wanted to, not because he had to. “Well, I guess we better get started if we want to get this training over with, right?”

  “Yeah. I guess so.” He slid out of bed and shuffled to the living room, where he dropped onto the sofa.

  April followed and sat on the opposite end, curling one leg underneath her. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

  He took a deep breath and stared at his clasped hands. Silence stretched between them as she awaited his response.

  “Damian?”

  “Hmm? Oh, right.” He shook himself as if coming out of a daze and turned to her. “You need to practice finding your Charge. You have to be able to Jump to him at any moment.”

  “But I don’t have a Charge.”

  “No, but you’re linked to me. So we’re going to play a little game of hide and seek. I’ll Jump to the Earthly Realm, and then you have to find me.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  He grinned and looked at her with challenge in his gaze. “We’ll see.”

  * * *

  Before she could ask any questions, he Jumped to the rice field in Felicity. He’d make it easy for her the first few times. Not that she was making anything easy for him. After spending the night with her—feeling the warmth of her supple body pressed to his all night—he knew his heart wasn’t going to make it out of this in one piece.

  Within seconds, she stood before him with a smug smile on her face. “I told you it’d be easy.”

  “Uh-huh.” If that’s how she was going to be, he’d have to make it harder. He grinned, winked, and Jumped to a mountain in the middle of Wyoming.

  Slipping inside a small crevice carved out of the red rock, he stepped into a spacious cave. He’d spent days in this cavern after what happened with Juliet. The constant dripping of water and the stale scent of bat dung and rotting foliage had his head spinning with painful memories.

  Why on Earth did he come here? Habit? Masochism? Whatever the subconscious reason, he had to get out of there. He slid out of the gap in the rock and found April waiting for him on the outside.