Celeste gave him a shy smile. “Didn’t we mention that to you?”
“No, and it would have been nice to know I could have become a slathering blood thirsty Dark Angel before I picked up the sword and used it to kill something evil.”
“If it makes you feel better, it would only turn you if you killed something truly evil. As a former Angel you would be the perfect vessel for the evil in the sword.” She shrugged.
“But what about a Reaper or Element?” Kyra asked.
“All I can say is that you should not handle it. And if necessary for a very short time. It won’t turn any of you into evil if you use it, but it won’t feel good either,” Celeste explained.
“Get your things, Celeste,” Victor snapped.
“She isn’t going anywhere,” Marcus said.
Celeste put a hand over his. “Victor, I am finishing this.”
Victor growled deep in his chest, and turned to Marcus. “If so much as a hair on her head is damaged, I will break you in half.”
“Excuse me?” Celeste turned to Marcus who nodded at his brother.
“I can take care of myself.” She growled now, Celeste glared at Marcus. “I can take care of myself.” She said directly to him this time.
“Of course you can.” Marcus spoke to her like he was speaking to a small child.
Celeste couldn’t help it. She turned toward him and pushed as hard as she could against his chest. His chair went flying back against the wall with jarring force leaving a dent in the wall.
“You are all really starting to piss me off. This is not a male-dominated world,” she vented. “I am old enough to know what I am capable of and do as I please.”
“Really?” Victor growled. “Because at the moment, you’re acting like a petulant child.”
Reapers have tempers, and Demons have tempers, but combined it could be deadly. And as the words flew from Victor’s mouth, Christian stood and pulled Garrett back. The rest of the room unaware of what was about to happen.
She did it without any telegraphing. One moment she was standing, and the next, Celeste had launched herself over the table taking Victor down with a close hanger to his throat.
****
Marcus scrambled over the table, only to have Christian stop him.
“Let them fight it out.”
“She’s a girl,” Marcus demanded.
“Yeah, but she doesn’t fight like a girl. And we all learned a long time ago to not treat her like anything other than what she is; a Reaper/Demon hybrid.” Christian pulled Marcus to the side as Victor rolled free of Celeste, slamming her in the ribs with an elbow as he did so.
“He just healed her,” Marcus snapped and shrugged off Christian. Christian laughed and stepped back as Marcus joined the fray.
He was elbowed, kicked and punched in the face before extracting himself. Holding Celeste around the middle, he swung her so she was on the opposite side of Victor. Her body and mouth flayed a mile a minute.
“Enough,” Marcus shouted over the two combatants.
Victor started to laugh. “Now you have a Fallen fighting for you? You’re getting soft.”
Marcus gave Victor an incredulous look. “Have you lost your mind?”
Celeste spat out profanities like she would get a prize if she came up with the most inventive combination. She continued to struggle to get out of Marcus’s grasp.
Victor only shrugged wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand. “Why? Because I have the balls to say what everyone is thinking?”
Marcus had heard enough and turned Celeste back to Victor. Victor showed just a moment of shock before Celeste slammed her fist into face.
Marcus shook his head and turned to Kyra. “What do you need to protect the house?”
Kyra looked from the fight and back to Marcus. “The flashing shouldn’t be a problem.” She pushed Marcus aside as Victor slammed into the wall beside him. “But to protect the house, I’ll need Eric or Fiona’s help.”
“I will be happy to retrieve Eric,” Christian offered.
Kyra smiled and pulled a phone from her pocket. “You won’t be able to Flash into the Haven or the lands surrounding it.” She held up her finger. “Hey, I need some help.” She paused. “No, I am not in trouble, jackass.” She paused again. “Whatever. I’m sending a Reaper for you.” Pause. “Of course I know he can’t Flash into the Haven. That is why you will Shift to the gates.”
Christian nodded and was gone. “It shouldn’t take long at all. Why? Do you have a hot date or something?”
“Yeah? Oh by the way—” she looked at her phone and then jumped back as Christian Flashed in, Eric in one hand. The Element crashed to the floor and vomited.
“I hear Flashing can be a little uncomfortable,” Kyra finished shutting her phone.
“Five damn seconds,” Eric growled and looked up, his blue eyes turning dark. “Information I could have used five damn seconds ago.”
Marcus turned from them to Aiden. “Can you get a couple more vampires?”
“I have as many as you need at my disposal,” Aiden said, still sitting at the table his arms crossed over his chest.
“Four more should be good.” Aiden nodded, finally standing.
“We shall meet back at say, nightfall?” Marcus nodded, and Aiden and his sidekicks left.
“We’ll have to pair up,” Marcus said to Christian.
“What the hell is going on here?” Eric asked, standing. He looked at Ryder, who was sitting at the table. The two Reapers stood near Marcus. Cameron looked as if he were about to fall asleep. Celeste and Victor still fought, yelling at each other as they did so.
Kyra linked her arm with her brothers. “I will explain everything in the kitchen. I’ll need the two of you,” she said to Garrett and Christian.
Ryder pushed himself to his feet, looking at the couple on the floor. “Are you sure you care this much?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the siblings.
“I’ll question it after this mission is over.”
Ryder barked out a laugh. “Yeah, cause that’s a good thing to do. Just put it on the back burner, hoping it will make sense one day.”
Ryder patted him on the shoulder. “I tried that once. It almost killed me. Not physically, but mentally. We may be immortal Marcus, but I regret every moment I could have spent with Kyra and didn’t. Eternity will never be long enough for me to love her.”
Marcus thought about that for several hours as he got ready for their plan. He wondered why he had never thought that way about Jessica, but the thought of not seeing Celeste again made him physically ill.
He looked over his weapons, strapping everything on. He threw on his overcoat and decided he wanted to see her right then, before their night started, and the gods only knew what would happen at that point.
He knocked on her door, and she grunted, which he wasn’t quite sure meant, so he let himself in.
She was just pulling a leather body army suit top over her head. He glimpsed a pair of lovely full breasts and a toned flat stomach and a belly button he would give his right arm to dip his tongue into. Low slung blood red leather pants rode her hips, enhancing her small waist and flared hips, making her look so enticing he couldn’t resist even if someone had a gun to his head.
“What the hell?” Celeste barked.
Marcus just started at her for a moment and then closed the distance between them. He picked her up by the waist and pushed her against the wall pressing his lips against hers. Feeling as if he didn’t touch and taste her right then, he would die.
She didn’t feel like any other woman he had ever touched or tasted before. He dipped his tongue into her mouth to rub it against her wonderful taste of strawberries and champagne. He breathed in the clean scent that clung to her, and knew this was his Heaven. What he had been searching for all this time? Two centuries searching for the feel of this woman. She was what he had been waiting for all this time; not for the Angels to forgive him, not for Jessica to redeem him. Bu
t for this small, feisty mean as hell little sex Demon reaper that fought him at every corner.
When he finally pulled back he was panting for air. “Gods you taste good.”
Something flickered in her violet eyes before they turned nearly black.
“Let me go, Fallen.”
Marcus closed his eyes, pushing past the fact she wasn’t calling him by name. Leaning his head down he placed it on the wall just above her shoulder. He held her body up with his own and breathed her in. He let every inch of his body touch hers and just thrilled in the fact that right at the moment he had her.
“Let me go,” she asked again, but her voice quavered just a little.
Marcus smiled. “Why?” he whispered, leaning in so he could murmur it in her ear before dipping his tongue into the shell, following the lines with the tip of his tongue. “We are heading into a fight tonight, Celeste. Forgive me if I want a few moments alone with you.”
“But you are celibate, and you may give me pleasure, but I need my partner to experience pleasure as well. I’m not about to open myself up for your later rejection.”
He leaned back and stared into her violet eyes dark with sexual need. “And what if I told you I would take my pleasure with you?”
“I wouldn’t believe you. Five hundred years and after seven days of fighting with me you want to throw it all away?” she accused.
He couldn’t blame her. He had done nothing to show or prove to her this was a done deal on his side. But he saw the pain in her eyes; saw the hope there as well.
She hadn’t moved, and he wasn’t sure if she was even breathing. Right now he didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to hash out all the verbal bullshit. He just wanted to touch her, give them both something to hold onto before going out and fighting.
He rubbed his hands up and down her thighs, eventually coaxing them up and around his waist. “Did Victor hurt you?” he asked nuzzling her neck.
“Yes,” she gritted between her teeth. “Why are you doing this?”
Marcus leaned back. She had her head leaned back and her eyes were closed. “Where did he hurt you, Celeste?” he asked instead of answering her question.
Celeste opened her eyes and looked at him, anger and passion melding together in her eyes. “He broke my nose,” she whispered.
Marcus looked down. If Victor had broken it, he must have fixed it because it looked perfect to him. But he leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Where else?”
“Right cheek.” Marcus brushed kisses along her cheek bone to her ear sucking on her earlobe.
“And?”
She was breathing heavy her words breathless now. “Cracked a rib.”
Marcus smiled, letting her slide to her feet, he kneeled down and pulled the tight body armor top up to just beneath her breasts and covered her ribs with kisses and licks, taking the time to run his tongue along each rib, nip at her six pack abs. He also took the opportunity to dip his tongue into her belly button like he had wanted to just a few moments before. And it was better than he had hoped it would be. So he did it again, before moving to her hip and kissing her there as well.
“Anywhere else?” he asked, spreading his hands across her flat stomach and ribs. He rubbed circles on her flat stomach with his thumbs watching her closely as she sucked in breath. Her head leaned back. He couldn’t see her eyes at the moment, but he could smell her passion, feel her body warming to his.
She looked down her hands, threading through his hair. Shivers of pleasure cascaded down his spine, and his hands moved to her hips gripping her tight. He placed kisses along the line of her stomach and hips where her leather pants pressed against her soft skin.
“Bruised thigh?”
His hands moved from her hips to rub along the outside of each thigh, rubbing circles up and down her leg, his thumbs brushing across the apex of her womanhood, making her jump and moan each time. He smiled. She was so responsive, almost as if she couldn’t control her reaction to him, that everything he was doing to her was new and exciting. This only turned him on the more. He rubbed his face against one hip bone.
“Celeste?”
“Hmm?” he looked up, and she stared down at him intently, passion glazing her eyes.
“Celeste, baby, I can kiss your thighs better with these pants off. And I would very much like to kiss your thighs better,” he moaned, Gods, if he got her pants off he would be lost. His erection jerked painfully with anticipation.
He tugged at the hip-hugging black pants she was wearing, sliding a finger in between the leather and her skin, running it along her until it came to the button. It gave her time to stop him.
He flipped the button open, licking her stomach as he did it, pausing before sliding the zipper down.
“Marcus,” she moaned his name.
Knock, knock.
Marcus froze swearing under his breath as Celeste bolting away from him.
“Fuck me,” Celeste moaned. She hurried to fix her clothing, knocking Marcus on his ass as she did so.
“I was trying,” Marcus muttered, more to himself than to her as she stepped over him and threw her door open.
“What?” she asked so abruptly even Marcus flinched.
“They need you and Marcus downstairs, but I can’t find Marcus,” Cameron said.
“Oh he’s on the floor.” Celeste thumbed at Marcus over her shoulder, pushing past Cameron he heard her rush down the hall.
Cameron leaned against the door jam and starred at Marcus for a long moment. “You know something?” he asked.
“What?” Marcus snapped. Looking up at Cameron from his position on the floor.
“With a woman like that…” He turned to where Celeste had disappeared. “I think you’re going to end up on your ass a lot.” Chuckling, Cameron turned and walked away.
Marcus let his head fall back on the hard wood floor. He starred at the ceiling thinking of anything but the woman he had just had in his arms. The woman he wanted to bury himself in and couldn’t. He had waited, thinking he was saving himself for something and now knew it was Celeste. But now that he knew that, he wanted nothing more than to be with her, and felt as if he were going to go insane wanting her so damn much.
“FALLEN?” Celeste bellowed from somewhere on the first floor of the house like a vapid fishwife.
Marcus pulled himself to his feet. He knew getting past her walls wasn’t going to be easy, but he hoped getting into her body would be easier, and would pave the way around that damn wall she held onto so tightly.
Chapter 10
Celeste stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Marcus, only to have Victor come rushing down the hall. He grabbed her by the arm, dragging her ups the stairs.
“What the hell?” she stumbled, but Victor kept moving dragging her when she stumbled.
They ran head first into Marcus as he left her bedroom.
“What were you doing in there?” Victor growled. Then shook his head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” He pushed Celeste into the room.
“What is your problem?” Celeste asked finally, pulling her arm from his.
“Aiden showed up with several vampires, as requested. However, one of them travels with a Demon.” Victor started opening draws and throwing items of clothing over his shoulder.
“Shit.” Celeste’s mind started racing. “I could just wear my cloak,” she offered.
“He already smells you,” Victor snarled, looking over his shoulder. “Damn it, get your hair up.”
Kyra rushed into the room. “Ryder said I was needed up here.”
Celeste was unbraiding her hair. “We need to braid my hair into three sections and wind them around my head.”
Victor finally found what he was looking for. “We need to get a man’s scent on you,” Victor snarled.
Celeste felt blood rush to her face and looked up at Marcus. “What is going on?” Marcus asked.
Victor threw another item at Celeste. “She is an unclaime
d female, and on top of that she is a Sex Demon. It drives other male Demons nuts.”
“Tell me he is kidding?” Marcus turned to Celeste.
She shrugged. “It wasn’t necessary to explain because there are not that many Demons in the mortal plane. They aren’t civilized enough, so I didn’t. A small detail like that shouldn’t matter.”
Marcus let out a stream of curses.
Celeste would have laughed at the look that Marcus had on his face, but she was too busy trying to redo her hair.
“We need to hide her hair and dress her down.” Celeste actually felt bad for Victor. He looked like he was about to jump out of his own skin.
“Victor, it’s going to be okay.” She tried to comfort him as she showed Kyra what she needed help with.
“Full explanation. NOW,” Marcus demanded.
This was the last thing she wanted to do, but she was backed into a corner. “Female Demons are subservient to the males. I shouldn’t be seen without a male escort, and my brothers don’t count because they are Reapers.
“You’re a Reaper,” Marcus said.
“Yes, but I am also a Sex Demon,” Celeste said, sitting down so Kyra could wind her hair around her head in a cornet style.
“By going around unescorted I am offering myself to any male that is powerful enough to take me.” This was so embarrassing she wanted to crawl under the bed and hide.
“And with my hair down, it’s another sign that I am single.”
“This isn’t making any sense,” Kyra said.
“Female Demons let their hair grow until they are blood righted to a male. Then they cut it.”
“But you’re five hundred years old,” Kyra said. “Your hair should be dragging behind you.”
Victor snarled. “She cut it a couple of centuries ago, thought she was in love.”
****
Marcus felt rage surge through him so quickly he wanted to kill someone. The last thing he wanted to talk about was the man she thought she had been in love with him. “What do we have to do to keep this damn Demon off of her?”
Lost In Time: A Fallen Novel Page 19