Sagging back onto the duvet, she stroked his face as he kissed up her front. He lavished her sensitive nipples with attention from his tongue, and then continued his way up to her mouth.
Rowena was used to the taste of herself on Stephen’s lips, but she tasted a little different with Adlai. She wasn’t going to think about it for now. All she wanted to do was feel.
Reaching out to the bedside drawer, the angel took out a condom, rolled it provocatively slowly along the length of his hard cock, and then moved over her, covering her body with his. He slipped inside her easily and thrust all his shaft in deep.
Crying out, she raked her fingers down his back, trying to get her legs wider to take more of him. He thrust again and she was filled to the limit. Pushing up on his arms, Adlai watched her as he made love to her, seeming to absorb every detail, every expression, and every movement of her body. She wrapped her legs around his hips and clung on as he stepped up the tempo, pistoning into her like he’d never get to do it again.
Pressure built deep inside her, threatening to blow her apart. She screamed as her orgasm hit her. She could barely get enough breath in her lungs to scream again as another wave washed over her, then a third and fourth. It seemed to go on and on, until her mind was broken by the euphoria.
Her body slumped after the final wave, leaving her unable to think when she was feeling so much. Every millimeter of her tingled. Between her legs, she throbbed and pulsed, still having little aftershocks that stopped her breath each time.
That hadn’t just been sex: it was so much more. It had been a profound experience beyond anything merely human.
~* * * *~
An hour later, Rowena finally tried to move. The intensity of that experience had to have changed something in her. She suspected Adlai had held back the first time they’d had sex, keeping his secret weapon to release on her when she was most susceptible.
She had to remember he had only appeared because she had got turned on thinking about him. He wasn’t entirely to blame. And she had let it all happen. She’d wanted to forget everything, and he’d certainly made her do that.
Six
Rowena rose early and dressed in one of her trouser suits. She had a new client to see. All she knew about him was his name: Luke Morgen.
In the kitchen, Adlai already had her coffee waiting for her. He hadn’t got dressed yet, so it was hard to think about what the day would bring.
The last month had been as quiet as Rowena could possibly make it. Other than writing up her report for Hannah and sending her bill, the only thing she had bothered to do was get the overly generous cheque from Hannah’s now husband in the bank. It seemed coming so close to death had galvanized Hannah into living her life to the fullest. There had been a very hastily arranged registry office wedding, then the new couple had taken the first offer they got on Hannah’s house before jetting off on honeymoon to Italy. The one sadness was the continuing absence of Bob. When she was ready to look into it, Rowena planned to find out exactly what had happened to him.
In her personal life, Rowena had put off all definite decisions. She let herself coast along with the angel, enjoying the sex and refusing to discuss why he was in her life in the first place.
Now it was time to take control again.
She sat at the table and stared into her coffee, thinking about how she should set things straight with everyone waiting on her. Stephen had dropped her stuff around, bringing his new man with him. It seemed Mathew knew all about Rowena. He told her she didn’t have to keep her distance from Stephen. That was good to hear. Adlai had cured her of craving Stephen for sex, so now she could happily be just his friend. Mathew himself seemed head over heels in love with Stephen, and that was clearly reciprocated. She was pleased Stephen was finally settling down with the right man.
So Hannah and Stephen were no longer Rowena’s concern. Adlai was, and she had decided that, if she couldn’t get rid of him, she might as well make use of him. As he wasn’t technically a British citizen, or even a member of the human race, she could rope him in as her assistant. He got free board and lodgings, and all the sex anyone could want, so it wouldn’t hurt for him to earn it. She had no intention of relenting on the baby plans for the foreseeable future, but should she ever change her mind on that, he would be the first to know about it. That was as much as she had promised him, and if he didn’t like it, he could sod off back to The Presences. So far, he had stuck around.
That left only one major headache to deal with: the Morningstar.
Once Rowena had got this new client meeting out of the way, she would have to sort out her father once and for all. He would be put in his place, kept at arm’s distance. But she had realised keeping him out of her life was likely to prove impossible, so he had to understand what the rules of contact were.
Swallowing the last of her coffee, Rowena slapped Adlai’s bare backside. “Go and get some clothes on. We have to meet the new client in half an hour.”
He nodded and went off to the bedroom, returning in a few minutes pulling on some of the new clothes she had got him from the money from Hannah and Dave. Adlai looked delicious in a tight grey t-shirt and arse-hugging black jeans. He didn’t move like an alien to the planet anymore, but with the confidence of a gorgeous man at ease with who he was. Admittedly, there was still a lot he wasn’t quite up to speed on in the modern world, but he was learning fast.
Going out to her new car – another thing she had treated herself to with the money she’d earned on Hannah’s case – Rowena eased into the supple leather seat and wriggled her bum. She loved her new car. It was sleek, but professional, and made her look like she was very successful financially. It remained to be seen if she would manage to keep the car, but for as long as she had it, she intended to enjoy every second of it.
The address her new client had given her was in a plush office complex just outside of town. She and Adlai approached the reception desk and informed the young man sat there that they had arrived for their appointment with Mr. Morgen. After having their photos taken, they were invited into a luxurious waiting area while their ID badges were made up. Apparently, no one could go beyond the reception area without a proper ID.
Rowena looked around her, taking in the huge windows and all the black leather in the waiting area. There wasn’t a vending machine to get coffee from, but a really fancy machine, complete with all its paraphernalia to make any drink your heart desired. There was a selection of biscuits that looked like they wouldn’t be out of place at Buckingham Palace. Her new client was clearly a wealthy man if he could afford his offices here.
“Miss and Mr. Engle?” A young woman asked, her perfectly applied deep red lips lifting in a professional smile. Adlai had opted for using the same surname as Rowena because it meant angel and he wanted the reminder of what he really was. The last few weeks had made him a lot more human and he was afraid of losing himself as Bob had.
Armed with the ID badge clipped to her jacket lapel – Adlai had put his on the pocket of his jeans, so every woman’s eye was drawn towards his crotch – Rowena led the way into the huge lift. They had been directed to the top floor, seven storeys up.
At the top, they found another reception desk, this one manned by a stunningly beautiful brunette. Rowena wanted to preen when the woman tried and failed to catch the angel’s eye because he only had eyes for Rowena. It didn’t matter to her at that moment that Adlai had no choice in that.
A buzzer sounded on the brunette’s desk and she sent them through the wide frosted glass door to Mr. Morgen’s office. The carpet under foot felt several inches thick. It was a rich gold colour, though the rest of the furniture in the office was cream. All except a dark brown chair behind a heavy dark wood desk. The chair was turned away from them, so she couldn’t see what her new client looked like.
“Take a seat,” he told them in a deep, husky voice.
They did as he asked and waited. Then the chair finally turned.
“You?!” R
owena exclaimed in shock. She looked straight into the face of the Morningstar. “You are Mr. Morgen?”
“I did think you might have worked it out, Rowena. Morgen means morning, after all.”
“And I supposed Luke is meant to stand for Lucifer?” she spat at him. “I was just starting to think I could come to some sort of arrangement with you, and then you pull a stunt like this?!”
“You misunderstand. I have called you here on business. You have talents I can make use of. I would like to have a standing arrangement with you for your professional services. I will pay you a handsome retainer, and in exchange, you will take the cases I put your way.”
Rowena narrowed her eyes at him. “What sort of cases?”
“Tricky ones that I can’t be seen to be getting involved in.”
“You mean you want a puppet to do your dirty work.”
“Surprisingly, no.” He smiled at her and she wanted to pick up the heavy glass ashtray on his desk and throw it at him. “Let me explain. In the centuries since I fell, I have come to see that evil is necessary in the human world. It brings out the best in humans and maintains a balance. For example: take the terrorist attacks in London a few years back. They were awful, of course, but they brought out a community spirit in that city that had been sadly lacking for a long time. Good comes from evil.
“However, recent experiences have shown me that there are those who want to tip the balance too far in one direction. That cannot be permitted. The evil has to be kept in check, and it would seem there are those beyond my sight trying to load the scales for their own ends. I want you to find them and send them to me, just as you did with the demon a few weeks ago.”
Rowena frowned, thinking that over. “You mean you want to be in control of all the evil. You don’t want anyone else stealing your thunder.”
The Morningstar steepled his fingers and studied her. “I suppose you could see it that way. But that, after all, is how it is meant to be. I am supposed to control all the evil and stop it winning. I have been arrogant, my child. I thought that, even in this modern world, I could do that unaided. Now I see I cannot do that without some outside help. And who else would I turn to for help but my own daughter?”
“If you’re thinking this is the start of a family business, you can think again.”
He smiled wryly. “You’re so much more like me than you’ll ever want to own up to,” he said. “Now, I have a contract here that I would like you to read through and then sign. You can take it away with you and take your time going through all the various points.”
Leaning forward, Rowena took the bundle of papers he slid across the desk to her. She didn’t even glance at it, just put it in the laptop bag she’d brought with her to use as a briefcase, wanting to appear as professional as possible when she was coming to such an upmarket place. If she’d known in advance who her meeting was with, she wouldn’t have bothered making so much effort. She wasn’t sure she would even read the contract, let alone sign it. Maybe curiosity over what her father wanted from her would get the better of her.
Pushing away from his desk, and standing to button the jacket of his very expensive suit, the Morningstar gave her what appeared, on the surface, to be a very genuine smile.
“Now that the business is out of the way, would you and the angel care to join me for lunch?”
Resigning herself to setting out their rules now, Rowena rose from her chair to go and have a lunch date with an angel and Satan.
Rowena’s story continues in Spawn of Satan
Spawn of Satan
One
Rowena watched cautiously. The spirit was confused and seemed rather angry. This could get a bit dodgy if she couldn’t make him see she was there to help. Behind her, Rowena felt the departed man’s wife trembling.
This was Rowena’s bread and butter work, and she should be able to do it without feeling nervous, but a confused spirit was a tricky beast.
Ever since Mrs Jones’ husband had passed away in his sleep, he had been prowling around their once happy home. His poltergeist activity had forced his wife to send their children to stay with grandparents, leaving her alone to face the thrown objects, locked doors, flickering lights, and sudden cold spells.
“Mr Jones, my name is Rowena. I’m here to help.”
A book flew off the shelf and just missed her head.
“Mr Jones, do you understand what has happened to you?”
This time, a framed photograph launched in her direction. Rowena only just dodged it.
“Peter, please listen,” Mrs Jones begged, her hands clasped together in anguish.
“I think you should leave the house for a little while,” Rowena advised. If her client got killed by the spirit, Rowena wouldn’t be getting paid, although she didn’t really need the money. A dead client would do nothing for her reputation though.
Waiting until the distraught wife had left, Rowena said softly, “You can come out now.”
Across the room, the air seemed to shimmer. It got the attention of Peter Jones’ spirit. He turned to stare in shock.
The far too sexy and often annoying angel who had plagued Rowena for weeks suddenly manifested in the room. Usually he stuck with a fairly human look, but this time he had decided to show off a rather impressive set of silvery white wings. They only just fit in the small sitting room.
“Show off,” Rowena muttered to herself.
Mr Jones gaped in awe and then fell to his knees.
Rowena rolled her eyes. But at least the spirit had stopped throwing things. Much as Rowena was tempted to throw a few things at the angel for his overdone entrance, she didn’t think Mrs Jones would appreciate having even more cleaning up to do.
“Adlai, put the wings away. The poor man thinks you’re here to deliver some kind of divine retribution.”
The angel managed to look sheepish. “Sorry.”
With a sigh, Rowena crossed to stand in front of the spirit of Mr Jones. “We’re here to help you, Peter. You must know by now you need to move on. You can still watch your family once you’re beyond the Veil. You just have to Beyond them online.”
Beyond was Google for the departed. On the other side of the Veil, everything appeared the same as this side, but there were a few crucial differences; for starters, everyone was dead. But most spirits continued to live in the Veil version of their home, greeting anyone new that joined them and helping them to adjust. Rowena had learned a lot more about death beyond the Veil in the last few weeks. She had even conned the angel into taking her there so she could learn more. He had been reluctant, but Rowena had pointed out it would help her do her job better.
Peter Jones frowned. “Can you see me? No one has seen me in ages. I thought I’d gone mad.”
“You’re not mad, but you are dead,” she told him gently. “Your spirit is trapped on the wrong side of the Veil, and that’s making you behave oddly. Now it’s time for you to move on. I can open a doorway in the Veil for you.”
“What about Selena?”
It took Rowena a second to remember Selena was Mrs Jones’ first name. “Selena is fine. One day she will find you, but for now she has to stay here and look after your children.”
“I never had the chance to tell her I love her,” Peter Jones whispered. “She’s my whole world.”
Tears pricked Rowena’s eyes. It was always hardest to send those who had so much to live for on their way.
“You can tell her now, but you also need to say goodbye to her. I’ll go and get her.” She glanced over her shoulder at Adlai. “Don’t go scaring him,” she told him firmly.
Once Mrs Jones was back in the room, Rowena put a hand on her shoulder and concentrated on pushing her Sight into the grieving woman.
“Peter?!”
“Selena,” Peter scrabbled up from his knees and dashed over to take her hands, but his own went straight through them. “I love you so much. I don’t want to leave you.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” she replied, te
ars starting to creep down her face. “I’ll always love you.”
Rowena was now fighting her own tears. In her initial consultation with Mrs Jones in a local coffee shop, she had found out the couple had been childhood sweethearts. After marrying at the age of only eighteen, they had worked hard to get their own home, and when their two children came along, they had thought their lives complete. But Peter Jones had suffered from an unknown heart defect that had killed him in his sleep after a night of passionately celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary.
Rowena made a decision.
“Mr Jones, did you have a mobile phone?” she asked, knowing she would probably end up in a whole heap of shit for what she was about to do, but she could deal with that later.
“Yes, it’s on my bedside cabinet.” The poor man looked baffled.
“Mrs Jones, get me your phone.”
Selena pulled the mobile from the back pocket of her jeans.
“Ok, I have to let you go for a minute, so you won’t be able to see your husband.”
Taking the phone, Rowena went into the address book and found Peter Jones’ number. She quickly edited it, entering the secret code she had found out about that would enable Selena to call her husband.
“Right, you have to promise me you will only use this number in a dire emergency. No sneaky calls at night for phone sex.”
“I don’t understand,” Mrs Jones told her, frowning.
“The code I’ve put in means you’ll be able to call the version of Peter’s phone that already exists beyond the Veil. I shouldn’t be giving it to you, but I think you need it.” Rowena gave her a tight smile. “You have to let him go now.”
Placing her hand back on Selena Jones’ shoulder, Rowena braced herself for watching what was going to be a heart-breaking goodbye.
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