Against her will, Bailey’s fingers stroked Sol’s stomach. Bailey squeezed her eyes shut against the pain. She traced the ridges of his abs. Her body fell into habit, remembering its place. Inside, Bailey sobbed. The warm, soft skin against her palm was achingly addictive and heartbreakingly familiar. Sol shifted slightly, and Bailey started to pull her hand away. Before she had time to move, Sol set his hand on top of Bailey’s, stopping her. Bailey inhaled, taking in his scent, before even she knew what she was doing. Sometimes, when she hovered somewhere between awake and asleep, Bailey would smell Sol.
“They kept telling me you weren’t real.”
The deep rumble of Sol’s voice against her ear caused hot tears to rush to Bailey’s eyes. “You always knew better, even as you pretended to believe them.”
A low sob escaped Bailey’s lips before she could swallow the sound. “Our son.” It was all Bailey could push past the lump in her throat.
Sol’s palm slid up her arm. “He is alive and well. When it’s time, he’ll join us here.”
Bailey covered her face and let the tears come. Years of pain flowed from her, spilling out. When she found her voice again, Bailey couldn’t stop the question from escaping. “Was our time together mercy or cruelty?”
Sol’s fingers didn’t stop skimming her arm as he answered. “Worse. It’s always been love. If it’s possible for me to have a conscience, you’re it. They would’ve taken our child and given him to strangers. What little was left of your life would’ve been a living hell of trying to get him back. I’ve never had to decide what’s right and didn’t know what to do. All I knew was loving me was destroying you. So I sent our child to live with someone who will give him an amazing life, and I tried taking away your memory of us. If I’d loved before, maybe I would’ve realized it’s more powerful than I am. How much do you remember?”
“I don’t know,” Bailey answered honestly. Some of her past was still a blur, making it hard for her to tell the difference between reality and dreams.
“Do you remember your name?”
An image of Sol braced on his elbows, staring down at her, floated across Bailey’s mind.
With flushed cheeks and lips swollen from their kisses, Sol was the sexiest picture of satisfied male. Bailey never tried fooling herself. He wasn’t a good man. Sol wasn’t a man at all, but she loved him. When he looked at her, the way he did now, she had a hard time picturing him tormenting the souls of the damned. Perhaps she simply loved him enough for both of them. Taking her hand in his, Sol brought it to his mouth and placed a kiss on her knuckles. His gaze never left hers. Her fingers tingled. A ring of gold appeared on her left hand. Bailey gasped at the sight.
“I want my name on your tongue.”
Confusion filled Bailey at his choice of words. “What?”
“When the Ferryman comes for you, I want him to know exactly where he should take you.” Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers. “I am one of the few immortals who has a last name to pass to you. I beg you to take it, Bailey Leanne Angelo.”
Bailey held him tighter as she whispered her name against his chest. “Bailey Leanne Angelo.”
No sooner than the name left her lips, Bailey found herself on her back. Sol hovered over her. His features shimmered, seeming less human than before. A tiny voice inside her head whispered she should be terrified. She wasn’t. Sol’s lips brushed hers. Bailey moaned. Heat spread through her.
“I promised you’d come home to me.”
He had. She remembered. Everything he’d done to her in life, Bailey had agreed to. As much as she’d loved him, she’d also known they couldn’t coexist forever as long as she still lived. Lucien had been more right than she could’ve ever imagined. Death was forever. It had done more than change her zip code. It had freed her.
“Don’t think his name,” Sol demanded.
Bailey blinked in surprise. Sitting back on his heels, Sol pulled his shirt over his head. As his bare skin came into view, Bailey’s confusion turned to delight. He was all hard planes, sharp lines, and deep valleys. She wanted to feel all of him against her.
“Wish granted,” Sol said, working her shirt upward. Bailey shook her head, hoping to shake away some of the lust, and remember if she’d spoken aloud. With her shirt and bra gone, Sol covered her body with his. Bailey gasped as his hot skin pressed against her. God, she wanted him inside her, making her feel whole again.
“Once again, God can’t hear you here, but I can give you that.”
Bailey was somewhat certain she hadn’t said anything.
Sol chuckled against her throat. The vibration went straight to her pussy, making her channel pulse. “This might be a good time to remind you, I can hear your thoughts.”
Bailey was too turned on to care. She couldn’t remember everything, but her body remembered what Sol could do for it, and wanted more. Her heart recalled loving him and craved his attention. Deep in her gut, she knew he meant everything to her. There’d only been one time in her life when she’d been complete, and Sol was the reason.
The wood of the boat bit into her shoulder blades as she tried working her shorts down her hips. No sooner than the hint of discomfort registered, it disappeared. The world shimmered around them, transforming into a bedroom she’d never seen. She knew immediately it belonged to Sol. His dark scent filled the room. Her eyes fell closed as she pulled the aroma into her lungs, absorbing the memory. It was no wonder she’d continuously sought him out, even without knowing who he was. Her soul knew him.
Sol’s lips closed around her nipple and her hips left the bed. Bailey buried her fingers in Sol’s hair, clinging to him. “I yearned,” she confessed, incapable of holding back. “Even when I didn’t know what I’d lost, I felt the lack of you every damn day.”
Surging upward, Sol moved back to her mouth, attempting to speak through his kisses. “I was there. You couldn’t see me, but I couldn’t stay away.” Ice rushed through her veins at the claim. She’d been with Lucien. “Do not think his name,” Sol growled, sounding deadly.
Bailey felt like shit. “I’m sorry.”
Sol leaned back, holding her stare. “Don’t be sorry. Be mine.”
Instead of pleading her case and swearing he owned her, Bailey held his stare as she worked his pants down his hips. She didn’t have to work at keeping her mind focused on Sol. He had her. All of her. “I love you, Solas.”
As his name left her lips, Sol exploded into action. What little clothing they had left disappeared, and he was inside her. All Bailey could do was hold on and feel. She became a giant nerve ending, experiencing every sensation like never before. Somehow, Sol ravaged her and made love to her sweetly at the same time. Her sex quivered as wave upon wave of pleasure rocked her. Sex with Solas was literally addicting. Most humans couldn’t withstand it without going mad. Bailey had never understood what made her different. Perhaps she really had already been insane by the time he’d come into her life. It didn’t matter what made her special, but she was beyond grateful. Some might say she was a fool for falling in love with one of the princes of Hell. She didn’t give a fuck what people would say. People had failed her long ago. Solas never had.
*
Bailey toyed with his fingers. The small touch felt like tiny pops of electricity running through his body. He loved it. Sol could hear the thousand questions running through Bailey’s mind. He tried blocking them out without success. She’d never liked for him to read her mind. Although there was nothing he enjoyed more than giving in to her every desire, when they were touching, he couldn’t break the connection. Instead, he remained silent, giving her time to make her inquiries at her own pace.
“Why didn’t you come for me?” At her question, he bit back a sigh of relief. He wanted to tell her everything. “I mean, I’ve been here for months.”
Sol played with her hair as he tried to decide where to start. The way her bare ass pressed against his erection made it hard as hell to think straight. “I didn’t know where you wer
e. There was something blocking you from me. Of course, I realize now it was the psychopomp.” Sol couldn’t shape the man’s name. Not yet anyhow. His rage needed time to cool. “You were supposed to be delivered to me over a year ago, but didn’t show.”
“The drive-by.”
“Yes,” Sol said, confirming her words. “At the time, I thought a higher power had intervened. I’ve been half-crazed, devising ways to find you. Then, one day, there you were, sitting by the river. I knew immediately you hadn’t regained your memory of me as you should have with death.”
“How did you know?”
Even though she wasn’t looking at him, Sol smiled. He couldn’t hide his pride. “You were scared of me, and that’s not like you. Even when I was covered from head to toe in your father’s blood, his body in pieces around us, and you having witnessed the entire episode, you didn’t fear me. I knew then someone was keeping you hidden from me.”
“That’s why you put me to sleep.”
Sol nodded. He was so proud of her. Even with only half her memories returned, she understood him better than anyone. “I followed you in your dreams, but once there, your captor didn’t show, and my greed for you bested me.”
“So you gave me a spell to trap Lucien.”
He didn’t confirm her words. They both knew Lucien would need to be dealt with, and Sol wasn’t sure yet what he would do. Bailey loved Lucien. Sol loved giving in to Bailey’s desires. It was a conundrum. Silence filled the room. Bailey’s rapid-fire thoughts didn’t slow. The raging tide inside her mind was oddly comforting. Chaos was his drug of choice. Being with Bailey was like standing in the eye of a tornado. Sol couldn’t get enough.
“What’s his name?”
Sol wouldn’t pretend to misunderstand, adding to Bailey’s pain. She deserved to know everything about their child. “Phenex.”
“Do you promise his life will be the best?”
Sol brushed aside the blonde strands of hair sticking to her sweat-slicked skin. As if his lips knew their place, they found the spot where her neck and shoulder met. He’d kissed that exact spot hundreds of times. It never got old.
“I swear it. For the rest of eternity, I promise to do everything within my power to make everything right. You’ll never know how sorry I am for how things turned out.”
Bailey rolled onto her back, meeting his gaze, and surprising him with her outrage. Even with the ability to read her thoughts, he was caught off guard by her intensity. “No. We talked about it. I might not be able to remember everything, but I remember that. Our son has a real shot at having a normal life. One I never had. I was never meant for a long life. That was written long before my birth. What would’ve happened to him after years of a crazy mother and my death?” He felt her revulsion, witnessed the memories of the things her father had done to her, watched as she pictured them happening to their child at the hands of a stranger. Sol wanted to burn the images she painted from his brain, but if Bailey had to carry their weight, so too would he. “He could’ve ended up with anyone after I died,” Bailey said, giving life to the images in her mind. “And I wanted our son to have a long, wonderful life.” Her palm touched his cheek. Her faith in him left Sol speechless. “I know you’re making damn sure he’s protected.” Tears filled her eyes, cutting through him like a scythe, and making him want to lay waste to half of Hell. He knew she could see the rage boiling beneath his human façade. She didn’t cower. He needed to make it better.
“Do you remember that tasty doctor who was enamored by you? The one who was more than happy to play with us once given the chance?” The pain in Bailey’s eyes disappeared, transforming into embarrassment. Yet lust coated the air. Yes. She remembered the man well. Sol couldn’t decide if he should laugh or moan. Either way, he’d changed her mood. “He’s raising our son.”
A blinding smile lit Bailey’s face, making Sol’s erection throb. “Perfect.”
“I thought so,” Sol said, dipping his head and stroking the inside of her elbow with his tongue. “The man is very patient. Since our son is half demon, he’ll need every ounce of that perseverance.”
Bailey chuckled. The sound went straight to his balls, drawing them up tight. “I didn’t even think of that, but Dr. Mullins was longsuffering. He’ll make sure our son has a good life.” Bailey’s fingers skimmed his cheek. Against his will, Sol’s eyes fell closed at the sensation. “What about you, Solas?” Damn, the way she said his name. Every single time, it was the same as having his dick stroked. “Have you had a good life?”
Turning his head, Sol pressed a kiss to her palm. When it came to Bailey, he was incapable of lying. Instead, he went with the bare minimum. “Life has been… quiet without you.”
“Lonely,” Bailey said, proving how well she knew him, and stripping away his ability to remain ambiguous.
“The silence has been deafening.” The smell of her tears assailed his senses, forcing his eyes open. The beast inside him came unleashed at the sight of the moisture on her cheeks. In a single leap, he had Bailey pinned beneath him. “No. You don’t cry for me.” His voice sounded demonic. Sol couldn’t draw the monster back inside. “It’s your duty to love me. I don’t accept your tears.” Even though he knew what he must look like in his fury, with his mirage of humanity wavering, Bailey still cupped his face between her hands and held his stare. The love in her eyes never lessened. She was the only person in existence who didn’t fear him. At first, the phenomenon intrigued him enough to keep him interested. Before he understood what was happening, she’d been under his skin—more a part of him than magic. “It’s your job to writhe for me.”
Sol slid down her body, opening his mouth over her pussy. Her feminine salt mixed with his cum, tasting like ambrosia coating his tongue. A sound came from deep inside Bailey’s chest. Sol’s gaze moved to her face. As he stared up the line of her body, Bailey massaged her breasts while watching him eat her. Her hips lifted, meeting his mouth. The way she openly took her pleasure had Sol humping the bed, seeking relief. To keep from reaching between his legs and pumping his cock, Sol pushed two fingers inside Bailey. It wasn’t enough. He licked a path from her pussy to her ass, penetrating her and lapping at her skin. Between the sounds Bailey made and her juices dripping from his chin, Sol was ready to explode.
When Bailey came, Sol surged upward, impaling her. The sensation of her channel pulsing around his needy cock didn’t hold a candle to the way her heated thoughts stroked his mind. The pressure building in his balls, rising in his dick, had more to do with the words floating through Bailey’s head than anything she could do to his body.
“I love you. You just don’t know. I yearned. Every day. I yearned.”
He did too. All the above. He did too.
“Life is fleeting. Death is forever. Thank God, even though he can’t hear me here.”
—Bailey’s Journal, A.D.
Chapter 7
Lucien lost count of how much time passed as he sat staring into space. He mulled over every word and moment shared with Bailey. No matter how he looked at the situation, Lucien’s heart split in two. He wanted to rage and blast out the walls of the room that were keeping him from Bailey. Unfortunately, common sense kept him glued to his seat. Sol called her his wife, making Bailey untouchable. He didn’t doubt Sol’s threats of torture. If anything, his prince—most likely—understated the level of pain he’d endure if he thought to attempt stealing Bailey once more.
Every thought bouncing through his mind always came back to the same place. She didn’t want him any longer. Even with the mistakes he’d made, Lucien had believed—given enough time—Bailey would’ve forgiven him. But now, she’d remembered her place. She was firmly and completely Sol’s.
Reaching up, Lucien’s fingers automatically sought the solace of the necklace Bailey had given him, only to find it gone. A fresh wave of pain sliced through his gut. His arms felt empty. Eternity looked… eternal. The front door shook a split second before exploding. Splinters scattered across the fl
oor, and what was left of the wooden slab hung haphazardly from the hinges.
Lucien looked on with the bare minimum of interest as a gigantic blond male, muscles bulging, stormed inside. His blue gaze scanned the room, skimming over Lucien, before moving in the opposite direction. Lucien suppressed a groan. Obviously, whatever Sol had given Bailey not only had him trapped, but made him invisible as well. Damn, his predicament was worse than he feared.
Perhaps one day, he’d work up the energy to care. A woman inched toward the open doorway, snagging Lucien’s attention. The man charged her way, stopping her just short of crossing the entryway. Lucien’s interest inched up a notch. It seemed the behemoth could sense Lucien’s dark presence, even if he couldn’t see him. Smart man.
A group of women congregated outside the door, peering in, but no one else tried crossing the line drawn across the entry. Lucien sighed as the man returned to search the rest of the apartment after making a point of telling everyone not disturb the herbs. If anyone could’ve heard him, Lucien would’ve pointed out the obvious. If kicking the damn door in hadn’t scattered the spell, it obviously couldn’t be undone. Lucien tried working up an ounce of curiosity over the man’s presence. It didn’t come, and his show didn’t last long. When his intruder didn’t find any signs of life, the crowd dispersed, leaving Lucien to his fate.
Ten minutes passed before another face appeared in the open doorway. It was one of the women who’d gathered outside earlier. Her blonde hair shimmered in the light, making her stand out. The few seconds his gaze had found hers earlier, a hint of recognition had tried pushing its way through his haze of misery before he’d shrugged it away. As she stared directly at him now, Lucien straightened in his seat. She could see him.
Spent (Wrecked #2) Page 7