Marcus gripped the brush so tight he snapped the handle off. “You were in love once?” he asked the words slicing through him.
“I thought I was yes.”
Marcus tossed the handle of the brush onto the floor and finished brushing her hair and braided it. “Better?” he asked placing it over her shoulder so she could hold onto it. Something he had noticed she liked to do when she was thinking. It was like her security blanket, something she turned to when she needed to busy her hands while her mind worked something out.
“Yes, thank you.” Her voice had grown very quiet. “You can leave now; I promise I’ll be fine.”
“Of course you will.” Marcus climbed back into the bed and pulled her close, she resisted. “Celeste we both know you need this.”
“Marcus?” she breathed his name making him so hard he was sure he could cut glass with his cock.
“Yes.”
“Please tell me you are wearing something.”
He chuckled. “I may be celibate Celeste, but I am not stupid. I have left my boxers on.”
’She breathed a sigh of relief and he wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or happy she didn’t want to have sex with him.
He curled himself around her instead just enjoying the feel of her, she had warmed considerable. She took his arm and placed it between her two and laid her cheek on them drawing him in even closer. He buried her face in the nape of his neck breathing in her scent, she smelled amazing. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world at the moment. What was it about this woman that made him forget all his vows?
It had been two millennia since he had been in the Elysian Fields but holding Celeste in his arms? Her needing his body and comfort, it was like a piece of heaven for him. It was the selflessness of being an Angel. It shocked and comforted him at the same time.
He had almost drifted off when something splashed against his arm he jerked up, as another drop of blood splashed against his arm to join the first.
“You’re hurt.” He jumped up and ran into the bathroom for a towel. Celeste had pulled herself into a half sitting position. And took the towel waving him off as he searched for the wound.
“Please Marcus. It’s not a wound.” She lay back down holding the towel to her face.
“What the hell?” he growled.
“Please stop doing that,” she whispered, her words muffled by the towel.
“God dammit Celeste you’re bleeding again, what the hell is going on. Do I need to get Victor? And what do you want me to stop doing?” She grabbed his hand.
“Marcus I cry tears of blood.” She looked at him as another tear slipped from her eyes and streaked down her cheek leaving a bloody trail.
“Gods sweetheart.” He climbed back into the bed and gathered her into his arms. He knew she needed to cry, needed to get her emotional pain out, or it could eat her alive. He felt utterly helpless as she exhausted herself.
“I never cry in front of people,” she said which only made her cry harder.
“Cry all you like,” he crooned, wrapping his body around her smaller form. She fit him like a glove, was soft where he was hard and vice versa. He molded her against him thrilling in the feel of her pulled up against him so closely.
She cried silently eventually wearing herself out. “He really hurt me, Marcus. Calliope is not right in the head, being in that box did something to him. I need to have those boxes destroyed.”
Marcus actually had to agree with her. “Don’t cry, we will take care of it,” he promised.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him. “I know how much you must hate this right now but I need you Marcus I need you more then I need to breathe right now.”
Her words were husky, and she moaned deep in her throat as she pressed her face into his neck.
He caressed her back pushing her closer when he should have pushed her away. “Celeste I can’t.” He breathed the words, his body betraying him, and they both knew it because it was pressed against her stomach.
She shook her head. “Then why are you here?”
That was a damn good question. “Because you need me, and I’m your partner.”
Celeste hiccupped. “Then leave, I don’t want you here if it’s an obligation.”
Marcus was dumbfounded, he tried to pull away but he couldn’t. “I can’t leave you Celeste.” He couldn’t, just the thought of it made him light headed. He was shocked, after five hundred years he had found a female he wanted.
When he didn’t release her she moaned. “I need you closer to me then.”
Marcus was in acute pain, but maneuvered them so that they were entwined he wasn’t sure where he began and she ended. His body screaming and his mind wracked with the vows he had taken.
“Marcus” she moaned his name, and for all the oaths he had taken, for all the promises he had made her next words undid all of it. “You’re such a good man. I’m sorry I fight with you so much.”
It cracked him, that wall of vows, everything he had worked for was to be recognized just as she had put it. He broke, was putty in her hands. He kissed her, he couldn’t help it. It was exactly what he needed to hear, what he longed to hear. He promised himself that he would stop at a kiss. But she moaned and kissed him back with such fervor that he couldn’t have pulled away even if he had wanted to. If the gates of hell had opened up and spouted forth the damned, he would have continued to kiss her.
When he did finally pull away he let his lips roam across her face. “I never want to feel like that again Celeste,” he demanded in a gentle voice.
She pulled back slightly her eyes dazed with passion. “Feel like what again?”
“When I walked into that room tonight, and saw you…” He couldn’t continue instead he kissed her showing her with his body, what he had felt. What he didn’t want to feel ever again. He tore his lips from hers. “Promise me. Promise me you will never put yourself in that type of danger again.”
“Kiss me again, and I’ll promise you anything,” she whispered. Marcus smiled and kissed her, only tearing his lips away so they could both gasp for air.
“Marcus,” she gasped. “The sun is rising,” she said in awe.
Marcus looked over his shoulder the sun was just coming up, he rolled over taking Celeste with him so she was facing the rising sun he cupped a breast losing himself in the feel of her. His vows lost in the beauty of her eyes, and her wonderment of something as simple as the rising of the sun. He kissed her neck his other hand moving down to the apex of her thighs. She didn’t hesitate but opened for him. It was something he knew she would do, she never didn’t anything halfway. The smell of her passion drove him nuts he gritted his teeth together and resisting the urge to roll her to her back and thrust deep within her.
She pushed back into him making him smile he dipped his head and bit her shoulder tenderly. The thin scar there from the shoulder wound reminding him that he had almost lost her. Uncontrollable range spread through him causing him to pull her a little closer. She was right, they couldn’t get close enough.
“So beautiful.” He groaned, she gasped as he buried his fingers in her she stretched back her hands reaching over her head she wound her fingers into his hair gripping him close. Marcus whispered nonsense into her ear as he drove her toward her climax her smell and feel of her body feeling a hole inside of him he hadn’t realized was there.
“Yes, Marcus.” She leaned back thrusting her breasts forward as he continued to make love to her with his fingers. He felt her climax just as the sun cleared the horizon, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced in his entire existence the closest he had ever come back to heaven. He wrapped her in his arms as she shuttered, coming down from her peak.
“What about you?” she whispered her words slightly slurred with sleep.
“Next time.” He kissed her shoulder she nodded, and he held her while her breathing evened out in sleep.
He rolled away from the sun bringing her with him. Not wanting to l
ose an inch of the connection they shared. He was in trouble, and questioning everything he had been doing for the last five hundred years. And it all hinged on the woman curled up against him.
He wondered what had happened to Jessica, if she was happy. He questioned what he had been saving himself for all these years? A woman who had turned her back on him not once, but twice.
It did occur to him though he had taken that oath the same time Celeste had been born. Had the Fates always been pushing him toward this end?
He looked down at the woman in his arms a woman he fought relentlessly with, but in seven days had fallen desperately and incomprehensibly in love with. He sent up a silent prayer that Jessica was where she was supposed to be and that she was happy. He was done living in the past, now the fight was on for the future. The worst part he wasn’t sure what the plan was, and if he could win it. The first thing he needed to do was find and kill Calliope.
Celeste had admitted she had been in love once, the very thought drove knives of jealousy through him. He just had to convince her that whomever that other man was Marcus was better either that or find the stupid ass bastard and kill him. If he wasn’t smart enough to figure out he was losing out on he was too stupid to share oxygen with the rest of the world.
He fell asleep with a smile on his lips, and the blood of her supposed true love on his mind.
Chapter 9
A quiet knock woke Marcus. He shifted, untangling himself from Celeste and pulled on his pants.
“What’s going on?” He looked up. Celeste leaned forward on her elbows, one long leg and butt cheek displayed. He froze, wanting, no needing to climb back in bed with her, but another soft knock stopped him.
He grabbed her bag. “Celeste what do you sleep in?” he searched for anything resembling night ware.
“Marcus.” He looked up, her violet eyes sparkling mischievously. “I sleep nude.”
“For the love…” He blew out a pent up breath, grabbed his t-shirt, and threw it at her. “Put this on.”
She shrugged it over her shoulders, and even though he had seen her in skin tight leather, even naked she looked more adorable and beautiful in his over large t-shirt than he had ever seen her before. Shaking himself, he opened the door.
Kyra stood there with a tray. “It’s been eleven hours. I was starting to get worried. I wanted to make you a big breakfast, but then I remembered, okay Ryder reminded me, how much Celeste loved Fruit Loops. Is she able to eat?”
“Fruit Loops?” Celeste asked. Marcus shook his head, but couldn’t keep the smile from his face.
“It sounds like she is.” Marcus pushed the door open and allowed Kyra inside.
He moved to the other side of the bed as Kyra placed the tray on Celeste’s lap.
“You didn’t have to do this. I would have come down. I feel much better,” Celeste said.
Kyra smiled. “It was my pleasure.”
Marcus should have shut the door because within minutes the entire household was standing there, including Lexi. She walked in the room her nose in the air and glared at Marcus.
“I told you to have sex with her. Why didn’t you?” Celeste almost spit her Fruit Loops across the room.
“None of your damn business,” Marcus said as pleasant as possible.
“How is she supposed to heal completely if she doesn’t have sex? She is a Sex Demon for god’s sake.” She slapped Victor on the chest. “What type of idiot is he?” she demanded. She turned to Christian. “Go out and find a man that will service my daughter.”
This time Fruit Loops came flying out of Celeste’s mouth, and milk came out her nose. As she choked, Marcus gave her back a slap.
Kyra frantically tried to clean up the mess. Victor started to laugh, and Christian only crossed his arms over his chest not moving.
“What has this world come to?” Lexi demanded of the room in general.
“Celeste, I will be returning to the Infernos with your mother. Would you like a few moments alone with her?” Victor finally said after calming himself.
Marcus could see in Celeste’s eyes it was the last thing she wanted, but she agreed. Marcus took the tray, brushing his hand against hers, hoping he infused some of his strength into her. It bothered him that he was leaving her with her mother when she obviously didn’t want to be left alone with the woman.
“I’ll be right outside.”
She nodded.
Marcus followed everyone out of the room. Victor slapped him on the back. “Better man than me. If I had a woman that beautiful in bed with me for twelve hours the very last thing I would have done was sleep. You’re not so bad, Fallen.”
Marcus shook his head. “Thank you, I think.”
“Oh, it’s a complement. If you had taken advantage of her, regardless of whether she needed it or not, I would have taken you to the Infernos and feed you to my father on a spit.” Victor said it so nonchalantly it gave Marcus the chills. “But now I don’t have to. Dealing with that crazy bitch is work enough.”
Christian grunted, which Marcus took as agreement.
“What is the plan?” Marcus asked, changing the subject.
“We have the Infernos under control for the moment. So once I return Lexi, I will return here and relieve Celeste. She will return to the Infernos where nothing like this will ever happen again,” Victor said.
“The fuck you will,” Marcus snarled. Victor raised one eyebrow in question. “The Black Sword is the only thing that will kill Calliope, and she is the only one that can wield it. We will finish what we started.”
Lexi threw the door open. Her head held high, tears streaming down her face. “I am ready to go with you, spawn of the devil,” she said to Victor, who only rolled his eyes at the woman.
“She’s talking to you,” he said over his shoulder to Christian. Victor took Lexi by the arm, and they Flashed out.
“Please let Celeste know we will be back soon,” Christian said, and then he Flashed out as well.
Marcus shook his head and headed back into Celeste’s room. She had rolled over and curled up in the bed. “What’s wrong?”
“It just upsets me to see my mother,” Celeste admitted, rolling away from Marcus. “I’m tired can I be left alone. Please?”
His first inclination was to do as she asked, but instead he climbed back into the bed with her. “Why does it upset you to see your mother?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Fallen.” Marcus bristled at the lack of use of his name.
“So we’re back to ‘the Fallen’ are we?” he asked.
He rolled her over so he could look into her eyes. “Celeste, just say my name. Not because you’re in the throes of need or passion. Can you please just say my name because it’s my name for god’s sake? I am not just a Fallen I am a man, and I have a name.”
“I would say you are both, Fallen and Marcus. Now are you happy? Can you please leave me alone?” She was holding back something.
“What did that woman say to you?” he demanded. Lexi had said something that had popped the bubble that had been created between them. Gods, if he could get his hands around her neck he would shake the hell out of her.
Celeste closed her eyes and leaned her head down resting her forward on his chest. “She told me the truth,” she whispered.
“But are you going to tell me what truth it is she shared with you?” he asked trying to control his angry.
Celeste shook her head.
“Dammit, Celeste.” He pushed away from her and climbed from the bed. “Get some sleep, I’ll check on you later.”
He stormed from the room, not able to do anything else. She was keeping things from him. There was always something she held back from him. Except for this morning, she hadn’t held anything back. When his body reacted, he headed for his room and a cold shower. Furious at himself, furious at Celeste, he didn’t want it to be about sex. Regardless of the fact she was a Sex Demon. He wanted Celeste because of her strength, her sense of humor, her ability to fi
nd utter and total joy in things that others took for granted every single day. But she had this wall she hid behind, and he’d be damned if he knew a way around it.
****
Celeste cried after Marcus left. He had been so kind to her last night. Giving her everything she could need in order to heal, and he had taken nothing in return.
“If the Angels find out about you, the Tribunal, the Council, they will have you killed. You are an abomination.” Her mother had cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “I love you, and that is why I tell you this. Keep that Fallen at a distance. Go back to the Infernos were you are safe. How could you possibly let a Fallen get so close? Of all species, why a Fallen? They were thrown from Heaven and the fields for a reason. He could never possibly love or care for someone like you.”
“Yes, Mother,” was all she was capable of saying by the time her mother had finished. Throwing ice cold water on the small fire, she let herself build between herself and Marcus. The pain so intense was as if she were back in the cement room with Calliope all over again.
Marcus had come in and had been so gentle with her, not walking away, but pressing her, trying to fix it. She cried harder and slammed her fist against her pillow. It wasn’t fair. The Fates were cruel. To give her a taste of the love she craved more than her own life, only to rip it out from beneath her, before she realized she hadn’t taken the opportunity to savor it like she should have.
Eventually she cried herself to sleep, hoping she dreamed of Marcus and his quiet whispered words of comfort. She thought of caring and love. Now it burned like ash in the pit of her stomach.
****
Marcus had the night to think about what was going on with Celeste. He’d even spoken to Ryder and Kyra which hadn’t been easy for him.
“I don’t understand her,” Marcus growled.
Ryder laughed out loud. “Brother, no man in the world understands a woman. They are complex creatures that need constant compliments, reassurance and if none of that works, sex.”
Lost In Time: A Fallen Novel Page 17