“We ran into Gabriel and Lucas on our way down.” Eva opened a cupboard and pulled out a cutting board. Grabbing a knife from the knife block, she proceeded to cut into an apple. “They say they’ll be staying out of the way until…um, uh…”
Her cheeks reddened and though she kept her gaze downcast, her chopping slowed down.
With a hearty chuckle, Michael leaned over her and picked up an apple slice then gently nudged it into her mouth. “Something to keep you occupied, beloved.”
Eva took a small bite and chewed. “Yeah, I’m really putting my foot in my mouth today, aren’t I?” With a cluck of amused distress, she stuck the rest of the apple back into her mouth, finished her task, and then held the cutting board up to Ruby.
What am I missing? Feeling bewildered but not daring to question what Eva had meant, Ruby took a slice and munched on it slowly. The sweet, fresh juice of the apple trickled down her throat. She didn’t realize she’d let out an appreciative moan until Jason stiffened beside her, his whole body going taut.
Sudden tension filled the air, winding around her flesh like a cocoon of smoldering electricity. Eva and Michael no doubt felt it, too, given their hypersensitivity to emotion.
Clearing her throat, Eva set down the cutting board and gave Ruby a wide smile. “You want me to show you the bathing area?”
Ruby smiled gratefully. “Sounds awesome.”
After exchanging the briefest of looks with Jason, a look that Ruby couldn’t decipher, Eva nodded her way. “Come with me.”
Ruby avoided Jason’s gaze as she followed Eva out the swinging door and down into the second corridor which housed the staircase. The last thing she wanted to do was get even more hot and bothered than she already was, especially considering their audience, and every time she looked at Jason her heartbeat skyrocketed.
He’s just too freaking beautiful for words.
Not to mention strong and virile and just plain delicious.
Don’t fall for him, Ruby. Don’t.
Eva led her down the stairs, which spilled into a narrow corridor with damp walls. Coming to a stop in front of a small table about halfway down, she picked up a small statute of a brass angel. “This is our way of notifying others if the bathing facilities are occupied. When you come down here, turn it on its side. Once you’re done, just flip it back up on the way out.”
After setting the angel down on its side, Eva continued down the hall. She rounded the corner and then stepped to the side so Ruby had a clear view of the wide, open room the corridor had led into. A stream ran perpendicularly throughout the space, and a natural bank rose up a few feet to stop the flow of water into the chamber.
Ruby didn’t bother to hide her excitement. “Whoa, this is absolutely amazing.”
Eva’s smile grew wide. “That’s what I said first time I saw it.”
Ruby stepped to the bank and leaned over it, studying the flow of the water. It swept in from a crevice on one end of the cavern and flowed out a small hole on the other. Their very own personal stream.
“How incredible for them to find something like this,” Ruby murmured.
“Leave it to the Fallen to find a hidden gem,” Eva responded dryly from behind her.
“And the way they made this place into a palace.” Ruby shook her head as she squatted down and dipped her fingers into the steamy water. The temperature was perfect. She wouldn’t be the least bit cold while soaking in her luxurious bath. “It’s unbelievable.”
Eva let out a snort. “Yeah, that’s our guys. Totally unbelievable.” She waited a beat before adding, “You know, the water in the stream outside is just as warm right now.”
Okay, clearly she was getting at something. Ruby turned her head toward the brunette. “Yeah?”
Eva nodded and leaned against the wall, absently running a hand through her still-damp curls. “For sure. If there’s anything more beautiful than this, it’s floating in the stream while feeling the sun on your body and listening to the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves.”
“Sounds nice,” Ruby said cautiously as she rose to her feet.
Eva’s face took on a dreamy expression.
“I still remember the first time Michael took me bathing out there. It was…” She blinked, as if suddenly remembering who she was talking to, and cleared her throat. “Well, let’s just say it was memorable.”
Her cheeks growing pink, Eva pushed away from the wall. “I’ll leave you to your bath, then.” She turned and started down the corridor, but then backtracked. “Oh, I almost forgot the towels were taken to be washed yesterday. They should be done by now. I’ll bring one down for you.”
“Thanks, Eva. For everything.” Ruby watched her leave then turned to gaze back at the water. Eva’s words rang clear in her mind.
“If there’s anything more beautiful than this, it’s floating in the stream…listening to the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves."”
Oh hell, was she about to do something stupid?
Maybe…but she was going to do it anyway.
Rushing toward the corridor, Ruby caught sight of Eva just as she was entering the stairwell.
“Eva!”
The beautiful brunette froze and turned her head toward Ruby. “Yes?”
“Do you mind asking Jason to bring a couple of towels? Up to the living room?” This time, when Eva grinned, Ruby fought back a flush of her own. “I think a visit to the outside stream sounds like a fabulous idea.”
“You got it.”
With a cheeky wink, Eva disappeared into the stairwell, leaving Ruby to ponder the enormity of what she’d just decided to do.
Chapter Ten
Jason’s gut gripped with excitement as he rushed toward the communal living room with two huge, fluffy towels in hand. When Eva had found him and teasingly mentioned that Ruby wanted to go bathing with him in the stream, he’d almost lost it right then and there. His cock had immediately risen to full attention, most inappropriate given that he was still in the kitchen with Michael and Eva for company, and that they could no doubt feel every bit of his hunger for Ruby. But then, they’d been in his position before, so screw it.
He’d immediately turned on his heel and left the kitchen, ignoring Michael’s heady burst of laughter. After snatching up two towels from the laundry basket Ben had carelessly left on the stairwell landing on his floor—quite typical when it was his turn to do laundry—Jason headed back down to the ground level.
Ruby was already there, her attention turned to the stack of books haphazardly piled onto one of the recliners. With her hands slung into the back pocket of her jeans, she looked relaxed and at ease to the casual observer. Unless you took in the slight stiffness to her shoulders, that was.
She’s nervous.
The realization sent a hint of awareness through him. Gods knew he was nervous, too.
As if just noticing his presence, she turned to face him. Her eyes boldly took him in, working their way down from his face to his navel, and a hint of her desire flooded the air. The emotion sent a shock of lust rampaging through his body, making him stone-hard once again. Thank heavens for the towels in his hands. He surreptitiously used them to block the unmistakable hardening of his groin.
“I thought a bath in the stream might be nice.” A hint of color rose to her cheeks, but her voice was calm and her gaze direct.
“Great idea,” he managed to say without his voice cracking. “I know just the spot.”
When she said nothing, merely motioned for him to proceed forward, he headed for the dark corridor leading to the outside world, but he didn’t continue forward until she fell into step beside him. Reaching out with one hand, he grasped her fingers. She hesitated for a second before slowly curling them around his. Shocks waves of electricity sizzled over his wrist, working their way up his arm.
What would it feel like when he could run his fingertips over her naked flesh once more? When he finally stroked the sweet bud of her femininity?
H
e couldn’t wait to find out.
“How long did it take you to build this place?” she quietly asked while he guided her down the well-worn path of the pitch-black cavern.
“It’s still a work in progress. We’re always looking to improve something or other. But we’ve been here almost a decade, since soon after we were condemned to death by our kind.”
Ruby let out an impressed whistle. “So this has been your home even longer than the subway tunnel has been mine.”
“I suppose so.”
“How do you all manage to live here without killing each other?” She let out a soft laugh. “Not that I’m one to question. I sometimes wonder how we did it ourselves, especially considering we lived underground.”
“It’s a good question.” With the other Fallen, there had originally been twelve of them living here in the compound. But then Michael, Ethan, and Aaron had found their mates and they’d moved in. Even counting the loss of Zach, there were still quite a few people. “We have our private sitting area in our living quarters, and many of us spend a lot of time outside, either in the surrounding area or running missions of some sort for the group. The truth is we’ve managed to create a democratic system where everyone has a place and fulfills a certain duty.”
“You’ve found your utopia,” she murmured as they approached the now light-filled opening of the cave. Morning sunshine streamed into the outer cavern, and when they stepped out onto the ledge, it surrounded them like a cocoon of warmth and peace.
“I supposed you could say that, especially considering the view.”
Ruby sucked in her breath as she took her first real look at the valley their compound was nestled into. Though the breeze still carried a bite to it, the bright sun had warmed the temperature quite a bit, and now illuminated the leaves of the trees dotting the surrounding mountainside. Shades of green, orange, and red cascaded around them, and loose tendrils of steam wafted up from the stream down below.
“Oh my God, this is amazing!” Releasing his hand, Ruby rushed to the edge of the ledge and looked all around, spreading her arms wide. “Woo-hoo!”
He chuckled at the unbridled joy in her voice, in her body.
“I’m so pleased you like it here, love.”
Because if I have my way, this will be your home, too.
She turned back to him, and the hint of naughty mischief in her expression was practically his undoing. This new, carefree Ruby might just be the death of him, he feared.
“I can only think of one thing that would make this moment better,” she said.
He arched a brow. “Oh?”
Her grin hit him like a shot to the heart, not to be outdone by her words.
“Skinny-dipping in a hot spring, of course.”
His mouth dropped open. Snapping it shut and clearing his throat, he waited until he could trust himself to respond without his voice cracking like a horny youth on a first date.
“Your wish is my command.”
*****
The look on Jason’s face was just priceless. She knew she’d shocked him, but she couldn’t help it. Something about her surroundings had sparked a fireball of excitement deep within her body. No matter what tomorrow brought, right here and now she was in heaven. And somehow she’d gotten lucky enough to have the world’s most sinfully handsome angel right by her side.
How could she not take full advantage of that?
Turning back toward the water, Ruby let the stiff breeze wash through her, chilling her flesh beneath her thermal sweater. Yes, undressing in this frigid weather would bring its own set of challenges, but she didn’t doubt that she’d be warm enough once she was in the water. If the steam rising from the stream hadn’t told her that, the memory of being wrapped in Jason’s warm feathers would have. He’d make sure she didn’t freeze, of that she had no uncertainty.
The heat from Jason’s body touched her a millisecond before he stepped to her side. She didn’t dare glance over at him. Lord knew she wanted him enough without getting a glimpse of his spectacularly male chest and abs.
“There’s a path leading to the bank below,” he murmured. “Would you rather walk down, or fly?”
That made her laugh. “Need you ask?”
A low chuckle tumbled from his throat. “I suppose not.”
With a flick of his shoulders that she could barely see through her peripheral vision, he grew his wings from his back. The feathery down brushed her shoulders as it unfurled, the firm but supple sinew of his appendage rubbing against her spine like an erotic massage. Almost immediately the air around her warmed by several degrees, but before she could even process it, he stepped behind her and slung one arm casually around her waist.
Ruby let out an involuntary screech as Jason propelled them over the ledge without notice. But rather than fall to the stream below, as instinct had led her to expect, he floated gracefully over it. Wind wound through her hair, loosening her braid even further than it already was and stealing her breath on a burst of cool air. Due to their speed, all she could make out were ribbons of flowing yellow, orange, and red—the leaves on the neighboring trees.
He travelled upstream for no more than a few minutes, just far enough for them to round a little bend and lose sight of the ledge, before dropping to the rocky earth on one side of the stream.
“Whoa,” she breathed after sucking in a huge breath. “Maybe warn me next time before you do that?”
“Now what would be the fun in that?”
He stepped away from her with a teasing grin then released his hold on her waist so he could drop the towels at the edge of the bank. Her eyes automatically locked on the full, thick wings still visible from is back, on the way they flexed and undulated with his every move. An answering tide of lust and longing rose up within her, causing her thighs to tense and arousal to tingle between her legs. What would it be like to make love to a man with wings?
But then the tendrils of heat rising up from the water caught her attention, and her gaze shifted to the stream. God, this all seemed like a dream. The vapors rising from the water. The contrasting cool air. The soft, muted sun shining down on them and illuminating the colorful leaves blanketing the ground. Maybe she should pinch herself to make sure she was really awake.
“It really is hot,” she exclaimed as she strode toward the bank, fallen leaves crunching beneath her booted feet. She wrapped her arms around her to replace the warmth Jason had taken with him. Though the sun had warmed the temperature considerably since they’d first arrived here, it was still frigid. Maybe not coat weather, but definitely a warm jacket, at least. The thought of completely undressing in this weather…
“You’ll be happy to know that the temperature of this stream is generally a few degrees warmer than the water flowing inside the cave.”
“Really?” Her gaze searched his, but she found no trace of duplicity there. Something told her Jason didn’t know how to be dishonest.
“Well…” Her voice trailed off as she realized there was just one thing left to do. Sudden shyness had her cheeks blazing with heat. Her stomach did a sickening flop.
Was she really about to do this? Hell, she’d never even been naked in front of a man before, and now she was contemplating not only bathing with one, but giving herself to him? Had she gone insane?
As if he sensed her discomfort—which he honestly probably did—he gave her an easy grin. “I bet it’ll feel good to take an actual bath. When’s the last time you had one of those?”
“Huh.” She thought about it for a minute. Lukewarm showers in the tunnel’s makeshift bathroom had become the norm the past several years. “Can’t remember.”
“Well, come on then.” Turning his back to her, he kicked off his shoes with a fluid ease that bespoke his non-human heritage. One flick of the button on his fly and his jeans were sliding down past his hips, revealing nothing but creamy golden skin and a muscular ass any human male would kill for.
The air sucked from Ruby’s lungs as she watched Jason
step out of his jeans. Yes, she should look away, should give him his privacy, but damn. It was like trying to tear her gaze from a priceless Picasso. Simply impossible.
Without looking back at her, Jason dove into the water, his body and wings slicing a clean arc into the heated liquid. She admired him for one more second before getting up enough sense to shake herself out of it. Slumping onto the ground, she quickly shed her sturdy hiking boots and socks. Dried leaves kicked up all around her, enveloping her with a cloud of rich colors that only increased the sense of fantasy.
Smiling at the dreamy ‘Alice in Wonderland’ quality of it all, she rose to doff the rest of her clothes, leaving her clad in nothing other than the angel-wing necklace she never removed.
“Hurry up.” Though Jason’s back was still to her, one of his wings playfully rose from the water, sending an arc of water in her general direction.
Okay, okay, you can do this. No big deal.
At least it shouldn’t be to a woman who not only lived with a bunch of men, but also led them. But leading and training a group of would-be warriors was different than sleeping with one of them…and an angel, to boot.
All right then, you can freak out once you’re in the water.
But once she shed her clothes and, shivering from the cold, leapt into the water, her fears seemed to evaporate.
“It’s so warm.” She gasped as the water flowed around her, caressing her bare skin and massaging muscles she hadn’t even realized were tired and achy.
“Told you,” he responded easily. He did a lazy turn and paddled his hands until his back touched the bank. When he tilted his head backward, an expression of utter rapture came to his face.
Clearly he was more at home here than anywhere else, and she couldn’t blame him for that. This place was paradise.
The sting of the breeze where the tops of her shoulders floated above the water only served to punctuate the delicious heat. Her toes barely grazed the bottom of the stream, but the current was so lax that it only took the occasional swipe of her hands to propel her movement. Feeing suddenly calm and relaxed, she allowed herself to float gently toward Jason.
Angel's Kiss Page 8