by Holly Vane
“You should take it easy Holly, you…” his voice trailed off but she had heard the pain in his tone. She hugged the cool bricks while reading the whirlwind of emotions in his sapphire eyes. Realization hit her.
“I died down there…”she said with shock. It was the only thing that justified the raw hurt that covered him like a blanket. Caleb looked away; she knew he was crying she could hear the tears in his voice when he spoke. “I got to you too late.”
“You brought me back.” She gasped in an awed tone.
“Barely.”
“Jesus,” she muttered. The world of Venice spun violently at the revelation that she had drowned only minutes ago. She focused on her Guardian who had brought her back and bitterness broke through the mass of emotions that choked her, why hadn’t he let her go?
“Come on,” he held her against him. “Dominic will be waiting.”
Caleb supported a numb Holly as they walked. He avoided the gondola taxis much to her delight she had had enough of water and Venice, all she wanted to do was change into dry warm clothes and sleep. Her shattered body was too weak to hold her weight and her wobbly legs had gone out from under her a few times. Dying hadn’t been all that it was made out to be. There was no tunnel with a bright light at the end, there was no voice beckoning her to the other side, for the few seconds she had been dead all there had been were emptiness and nothing less.
Caleb held her tightly as they rounded a corner and a huge four storey building came into view. Her feet abandoned her as she tried to scale the four granite steps to the lobby; the ground came up to meet her. Caleb pulled her up at the last possible second then another set of arms were around her. The second pair was tender and encircled her tenderly almost like a lovers.
“What the hell happened?” Holly heard Dominic Princes stressed voice hiss softly. As the pair helped her cross the slippery marble floor of the foyer.
“I’ll fill you in later; right now we need to get her into bed.” Caleb’s tense voice replied testily as they lowered her into a plush armchair that skirted a wooden coffee table topped with glossy magazines. She felt the weight of their gazes as she fought to keep her drowsy eyes from shutting.
“I’ve got everything sorted. You and Holly are in 409.” She heard a jingle of a key ring and looked up to see Dominic’s dark eyes fixed on her while handing Caleb a hotel room key.
“Her stuff’s in her room.”
Caleb nodded and took the offered key chain. He scooped Holly up and headed for the elevators. She heard a ping as the lift doors opened. “Close your eyes,” he said softly kissing her forehead, snuggling into his warm arms she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
Holly’s skin rubbed against the rich silk bed sheets as she stretched.
Feeling strangely revitalized she sat up and found Dominic’s sultry eyes on her.
“Good morning beautiful.” His smooth deep voice said. His lean body was settled in an antique looking chair across from the four poster bed. He was a sight to behold: tousled dark hair hung over hot smouldering eyes as stormy as a maelstrom, perfectly sculpted cheekbones and tempting lips.
“Where’s Caleb?”
“Waiting for us,” he glanced at the digital clock readout on the bedside table, “we’re an hour late already.” Holly peeled back the covers looking down at her for the first time. Black lace panties were the only thing she wore. Holly threw a questioning look at Dominic who smirked devilishly. “You would have caught pneumonia sleeping in those wet clothes.”
She hid the dark flames of desire that ignited in her stomach behind a sight irritated smile. She walked over to what she presumed to be the bathroom, bending over the back of the chair as she went passed, “just tell me that it was Caleb who undressed me.”
His face gave away nothing but his eyes betrayed him, a swirl of mischief danced in them telling her the answer. “You’re impossible.” She tossed at him before continuing to the bathroom.
“And you’re a tease.” She heard him shoot back before the door closed.
Holly stared at the reflection gazing back at her through the cabinet mirror. She hardly recognised the girl looking back. Her face didn’t portray the nice, naïve innocent girl from Cherry Falls that she had been, instead it projected the messed up, broken and twisted thing she had become. Her cheeks were drawn in and her blue eyes looked haunted. Between the Ether addiction and what she was doing to Caleb she couldn’t blame her face for looking so scarred. Her body tensed as the door creaked open and Dominic stepped in leaning against it blocking her escape.
Immediately her heart shifted into overdrive, she had tried to fight the pining that racked her body whenever he was near till she was shattered from the effort, he knew her resolve was crumbling and he wasn’t being a gentleman about it. She closed her eyes as he came up behind her; his hot breath tickled the nape of her neck sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. His controlling arms wrapped around her bare waist and she bit down on her lip to keep a moan from escaping her throat as he pressed into her.
“Dominic please…” She breathed pleadingly.
He swept her hair to one side and proceeded to trail hot kisses down her neck. Holly grabbed fistfuls of his black jeans when his warm tongue touched her sensitive skin. Her breath came in shallow gasps.
“Fuck…I want you Holly.” His tone was thick with excitement as his fingers slipped into her damp panties. She caught and held his hand struggling with the blurred line of right and wrong. She tried to move away but he held her in place. “Give in princess, you know you want to.”
“But Caleb…”
His free hand clamped over her mouth cutting her off. “Doesn’t need to know.”
She rolled her head round to face him. “What are you saying?”
Dominic released her and took a step back which gave her room to move her whole body round to face him. “Holly It’s about time you stopped kidding yourself that you could settle for anyone other than me.”
She stared into his black eyes and hated herself for agreeing with him. She loved Caleb, she did he was her Guardian Angel, but had always been in love with Dominic. The depth of the connection she shared with the Prince of Hell scared her senseless. She was running from herself when she had chosen Caleb, but more importantly she was running screaming from the Devil she loved fiercely.
She could talk to Dominic about anything. It was to him she had turned to in her hour of need after burying her parents that had been murdered because of her, he understood had introduced her to Ether to dull the pain. Caleb on the other hand would never know what it was like to bury a loved one, she envied him for that. That’s was when he was around of course. Since defecting from Heaven he had promised never to leave her side, a promise he had broken. He often crept from their bed in the middle of the night when he thought she was asleep, he would disappear like he had now, not returning for hours. When Holly asked him about it he would just say that he was running errands or that an important matter needed his attention, why couldn’t Dominic handle them? Holly had never been so vulnerable and as needy as she was now. She wanted Caleb to console her late at night when she woke covered in sweat screaming like Dominic did. The prince of Hell was always there for her day and night whenever she needed him. Caleb was lying to her and that only set her more on edge.
Her panties sliding down her thighs brought her back to the present, her breath caught at the sight of Dominic’s majestic form kneeling in front of her and when his passionate eyes looked up at her it was all she could do to stay upright. “Jesus,” she whispered fighting the arousal she felt at having a god kneel before her. With lightning speed he lifted her onto the wooden cabinet then parted her legs. God she wanted him…badly.
Her primal lust won out as his tongue teased in between her legs. The feel of him sucking at her broke down her last defence and her back arched in pure ecstasy. “Oh…god,” she panted running her fingers through his silky hair then yanked on it as his tongue speared into her. She felt he
r orgasm building and her moans turned into screams of pleasure.
Her body trembled and shook as he made her come harder than she ever had before.
She flopped back against the cool mirror swatting at the wet strands of hair clinging to her face. “Damn it Dom.” She cursed quietly.
“I’ve wanted to do that for days,” he said playing the horny Devil down to a tea. “You taste so good.” Holly glanced at the glass door of the shower that stood in the far corner. Her heart pounded at the thoughts crossing her mind. She knew it was wrong but she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to. Dominic had her hooked like a drug: he had become an unhealthy obsession. “Please tell me you have a condom.”
Dominic froze. “What?”
Holly exhaled unsteadily then jumped down; her bare feet hit the tiled floor with a quiet smack. “You win,” she said to him watching his amazed face, “I give in Dominic.” She whispered.
His eyes turned completely black and his jaw grinded she knew he was having trouble controlling himself. “Holly do you realize what you’re saying?”
“God no. But I want you, all of you. I can’t fight it anymore. Dominic Prince…” She faltered wondering what she was getting herself into. “I love you.”
Chapter Two
∬
All Good Things Must Come To An End
Holly’s shoes hit the soft wet grass.
Immediately her stomach lurched and she doubled over vomiting the undigested buttery croissant she had had for breakfast.
“You’re four hours late!” She heard Caleb tell Dominic exasperatedly through her wailings. “What took you so long?” She tossed her head back and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “It’s my fault Caleb,” she told him. “I overslept and Dom didn’t have the heart to wake me.”
“Or answer his damned phone apparently.” Caleb muttered before coming to her. “Are you okay?” A stab of guilt hit her. Nothing else had happened in the bathroom with Dominic he had been too preoccupied with what she had said. She had showered alone then dressed; breakfast had been waiting for her in her room. Now Holly had finally admitted that she was in love with him she felt strangely free. She had been hanging onto it for a long time afraid of what it meant and of the consequences that followed it. She had to come clean to Caleb she knew that, but the very idea of losing him made her turn cold with fear. Yet she couldn’t have them both she was back at square one again.
“Holly?”
“I’m fine.” She said quickly taking in her surroundings for the first time. They were standing in a clearing that was hugged on all sides by a thick dense wood. She heard the trickle of a stream nearby the whole scene could have come straight off the front of a postcard: secluded, tranquil and beautiful.
“Like it?” Caleb asked her.
“It’s incredible. Where are we?”
“Oregon.”
She scrunched up her face in puzzlement. “What about New York?”
He raised his shoulders apologetically. “Plans changed sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
Holly turned to the little white cottage behind them. It looked small and quaint. “So why Oregon?” She asked him as they started towards it. Dominic had gone on ahead with her suitcase. “We needed to get off the grid for a while.”
“Because of last night?” He nodded. “We still don’t know whom the Demons were working for, it obviously wasn’t Lucifer.” She walked up the porch steps and through the open front door. A small table greeted her with the smell of bacon that rested on it. “Hungry?” Caleb asked motioning for her to sit. She grimaced and patted her stomach which was still reeling from the after effects of blinking.
Dominic emerged from one of the rooms that was located in a thin open hallway in front of them. His eyes locked with Holly’s. Heat flowed through her veins setting every inch of her on fire. She tore away from his seductive aura and clutched the top of a chair in front of her willing her body to behave.
“You want to see your room princess?” His controlled voice asked. Holly dared a sneak sideways glance at Caleb who was busy cleaning away the plates of bacon. Shame washed over her, how did things get this way?
“Because you’re a whore with zero self-control.” The voice in her head spat gleefully.
“Not right now.” She told him before turning to Caleb. “I need to talk to you.”
He straightened with a sheepish look stamped on his face. “Actually Holly I need to…”
“Don’t you dare say go.” She warned. “Caleb I just got here!” Seeing the hurt on her face he conceded. “Your right I’m sorry.” He offered her his arm. “Walk with me.” Still angry Holly ignored his invitation and marched out the cottage door and down the steps waiting for him at the bottom. “So what’s so urgent that you have to dash off to?”
“It doesn’t matter it can wait.”
“It couldn’t a minute ago.” Rage bubbled inside her threatening to spill out at the smallest provocation.
“You come first.”
Holly snorted her irritation. “Really.”
“Holly what’s this all about?”
The hatred fell away and left a gaping void of agony. She had to tell him regardless of the dangers. “I…” she exhaled slowly willing her tears away. “I’ve done something you won’t like but I can’t keep it from you any longer. It’s killing me.” He sat on the last step and studied her, patiently waiting for her to continue. There was no way of sugar coating what she was about to say so she simply let it out. “I kissed Dominic.”
She waited for his reaction but got none his face was stone. “Is that all?” He finally said in a flat voice that showed no emotion.
“No. We’ve…done stuff. Caleb I love him.” She heard him suck in his breath and he lowered his head. “I know.” He said hoarsely.
“What?”
“Holly I’m your Guardian Angel I can feel what you’re feeling remember? I’ve known all along how you’ve felt about him. That’s why I was surprised you chose me. Why did you choose me?”
The air expelled from her lungs and she deflated of course she should have seen this coming but why was he being so calm about it? “Because I was scared to admit that I loved someone evil, what does that say about me?” Tears slipped down her cheeks.
“Caleb, things between us have gotten…and I don’t want it to. I want the old you back who was always around and thoughtful and warm... Not disappearing every sodden minute. If this is going to work then we need to clear the air.”
“Holly,” he got to his feet. “Can you honestly say you want us to work? Ask yourself who you want the most. Me or him.”
“What? Why are you being so calm about this?” She was freaking out.
“Because I already know the answer. I guess I’ve always known it and because...” He took a deep breath then looked away. “I need to let you go.”
Holly’s world threatened to collapse. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go. “Are you…dumping me?” She asked with undisguised disbelief.
“Yes.”
Her insides turned numb. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I mess up once and that’s it? I thought you loved me?”
“This isn’t about Dom, at least not all of it. We can’t work Holly; I was a fool to think we could. I’m your Guardian not your boyfriend. The two shouldn’t mix.”
“Why are you saying this to me?” He had changed into someone Holly hardly recognised.
“Because you need to hear it.”
He turned away and darted a sad look over his shoulder.
“It’s over Holly.”
Chapter Three
∬
A Union Made In Hell
Caleb Williams sat on the hood of the blue pick-up.
He gulped the last dregs of beer from the bottle then discarded it on to the driver’s seat.
“I Thought Angels didn’t drink.”
Caleb bristled at Dominic’s voice. “There’s a lot you don’t know.
” He growled at him. “Where’s Holly?”
Dominic leaned against the metallic body of the Ford. “Asleep. Andreas keeping an eye on her.”
“You should be with her.” Caleb said a little indistinctly.
“I will be.” Dominic said smugly.
“You don’t waste any time, do you Demon.” Caleb leered at him prying another beer loose.
“There’s no need for name calling Caleb. You wanted it this way remember?”
“Wanted? I had no choice Dom.” Caleb slurred angrily. Dominic looked at him. “How many have you had?”
Caleb sighed. “This is my 30th.”
“Angels really can hold their liquor.” Dominic mused.
“When did you start fucking her behind my back?”
Dominic bristled against his tone but let it pass. “I haven’t. Holly still has her virginity. But to answer your question it started two weeks after leaving Cherry Falls.”
“Six months!” Caleb slid down stumbling slightly.
“She belongs with me Caleb. We both know it.” He said ducking under an uncoordinated fist.
“SHE WAS WITH ME YOU BACK STABBER!” Caleb roared giving a passing car horn the finger.
“I’m evil Caleb.” Dominic said simply. “You know I have no morals.”
Caleb pointed a shaky finger in his face. “I should have killed you when I had the chance!”
“But you didn’t.” He replied coldly. “And you won’t get another shot I assure you.”
Slivery tears slid down the Angel’s cheek. “Love isn’t a game Dom. You’re responsible for her now. Promise you’ll get her to St Heralds.”
Dominic thawed at seeing his friend’s distress. It was easy to forget that they had been as close as brothers once. “You have my word. I’ll stick to the plan. Are you coming home? Your likely to get ran over if you stop out here.”
“Chance would be a fine thing. They keep missing damned humans!”
“Caleb.”