by Lola StVil
I can tell by the look on his face that he isn’t going away. And maybe getting some air will help me get my mind right. Aaden holds out his hand and I step on the Port, and just like last time, I have no idea where I’m headed.
A few minutes later, the Port stops and we’re standing on the balcony of a stunning circular glass house perched high on a hilltop. We step off the Port and onto the glass and steel balcony that encircles the whole house and allows for a 360-degree view of the plush forest below.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Portland, Oregon.”
“What is this place? It’s beautiful,” I reply.
“This is Roslyn.”
“You named the house?”
“No, I didn’t. The owner did. His name was Theodore. I was injured a while back and I was hiding out from a group of demons. When the coast was clear, I came out and I saw Teddy tending to this house. He was a small human with a big laugh, gray hair, and potbelly.
“It had started to rain really hard, as it often does here, and he saw me wandering around in the forest. He called me to come inside and get warm. I came over and I told him he should never invite a stranger to his home. He said if he died doing something kind, it wouldn’t be such a bad way to go.
“We got to talking and he basically told me his life story. He was born with very little, and when his dad lost his job, things got even worse. He was one of seven children. They were all sent off to live with relatives. He came back here as soon as he finished school.
“He was barely making ends meet at his day job at the local glass factory. He worked every shift they would give him, because he wanted to make something of himself.
“One day, he was sitting in a diner when he got news that his mother passed away. He was in such a hurry he rushed out of there without paying. The waitress was furious. She shouted at him and called him every name she could think of.
“He apologized and tried to explain, but she didn’t believe him. Finally, he gave up trying to explain and he left his payment and a note to the owner of the diner. She was sure that she would be fired, because she had cursed a few people out that day. It turned out Roslyn volunteered at the children’s hospital and her favorite patient died that day.
“Anyway, she waited all weekend for her boss to read the note and fire her, but he never did. So she snuck into his office and read the note that Teddy left behind. They were married two weeks later.
“And for the next few years they lived their lives on a budget. They would eat hotdogs in the park or go to a free show at the local college. They worked long and hard just to make ends meet. And every day they looked out the window and saw all the nice houses on the hill. He vowed to her that they would live there someday.
“Teddy would go into office buildings and replace their windows, and he’d steal old magazines and give them to her. She’d cut out the pictures and make a collage of all the things that would go into the dream house.
“Well, it took almost twenty-five years, but Teddy became the president of the glass company. They were three days away from starting construction on the house when Roslyn had a heart attack and died. She never got to live here. So he lived here for her. He tried to make it a home she would be proud of.”
“Oh, that’s so sad. I can’t believe she never got to see this place. What happened to Teddy?” I ask.
“I’d come by and see him on and off. We’d talk for hours. He was really into buildings and philosophy. He thought I was just taking pity on him, but he helped me too. I never knew humans could harbor such love and devotion the way Teddy did. He loved his wife beyond words. One day, I came by and he had this strange look on his face when he saw me.”
“Why? What was wrong?”
“He saw my wings.”
“Oh no,” I reply sadly.
Anytime a human can see our wings without us telling them we’re angels, it means they are about to die.
“He had stage four cancer,” Aaden says sadly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” Aaden says as he clears his throat and looks away.
“Well, this place is absolutely gorgeous.”
“Teddy left it to me in his will. I changed a few things around, but I kept the soul of the place. Like over here,” he says, signaling to a framed black-and-white photo of an elderly couple.
They look back at us with big smiles as they curl into each other lovingly. There’s a small framed picture next to the couple. It’s a handwritten note.
“Wait, is this the note he left her boss?” I ask.
“Yeah, they saved it.”
I move in closer to the framed picture and read the note out loud.
Dear sir,
Your diner is lovely but
the waitress is surly
and curses like a sailor.
If she will have me
I will marry her
I am honest
hardworking
and as of today
I am deeply in love…
“Aaden, that’s so romantic! And he left you this place?”
“Yes. He made me promise two things before he passed away. One, that I would call this place after the woman he loved, and two, I would take the woman I love and share this place with her. So…I know this is kind of a crazy time, but when things die down, I want this to be our place.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Look, it’s not just about this place; it’s what Roslyn means. For Teddy it was a symbol of his hard work and how the woman he loved stood by him. For me, for us, Roslyn is a symbol of what is possible—a life after Malakaro.”
“After? I haven’t really thought about…”
“Well, start thinking about it, Ms. Cane,” he orders.
He takes my hand enthusiastically, and we go inside. Teddy spared no expense with his house. Roslyn would have been in love with this place. It has an elegant open floor plan with clean lines and sleek décor. In addition, there are high ceilings, chocolate-colored hardwood floors, and an amazing panoramic view of the forest.
Aaden informs me that Roslyn is a Smart home. I can see what he means. The house has high-tech gadgets like the transparent flat-screen TV in the living room and the glass fireplace. There’s also a panel on the wall the size of an iPad; it controls the heated floor, the skylight, the heated pool, and a number of things Aaden admits he has yet to figure out.
It’s not just the gadgets and the décor that I am in love with. It’s the small touches throughout the home I adore. It’s the orchid centerpiece on the dining table, the music that softly flows through the air, and the crisp scent of pine.
“This place is…it’s like it knows what I like,” I joke.
“It does.”
“I don’t get it,” I admit.
“I input the things I know about you. For example, this is the radio station you like and the flower you loved when we were kids…that kind of stuff.”
“Why are you so good to me?”
“It’s kind of selfish, really. It turns out I’m only happy when you’re happy. Pry, I’m serious. I want us to think about life after Malakaro. We need to know that there is something past him, something he can’t take away—our future. We have one, Pry, I promise you we do.”
“Show me.”
“Okay, here in the living room is where we will scold Sparks for setting the curtains on fire.”
I laugh as I visualize a baby angel summoning flames. He takes my hand and brings me over to the steel and glass spiral staircase.
“You’ll scream at me that the place is a mess and your parents are coming over so I better clean up!” he says.
“I can see that,” I reply with a big smile.
“And out there on the balcony is where you’ll stand and yell at me for taking Sparks too high up in the air when she’s just learning to fly. And you’ll yell at me again when I do the same thing with our other kids.”
“Other kids?”
“Yeah. Look, I
know I’ve only been a dad for a little while, but I really love it. And I want that with you. Not now, but someday. Is that crazy?”
“No, it’s not. It’s kind of…nice.”
A thought enters my mind and saddens me. I rebound quickly, but Aaden isn’t fooled.
“Pry, what is it?”
“I just thought about…I wondered how many beings at the ball planned a future with kids? How many of them thought that they would see the next day? I took that from them.”
“Pryor, stop it! You didn’t take anything away from them—Malakaro did. You cannot blame yourself.”
“I know that in my head. I do. But in my heart…it’s crazy to say, but the Center was easier to deal with. At least I was the only one being hurt. What am I saying? Did I really deal with the Center? I still can’t close my eyes without seeing…”
“Seeing what?” he asks.
“No, you brought me here to this wonderful place, our place, and I don’t want to talk about it here.”
“You can’t skip over this; we need to talk. This house is ours. It’s going to hold all our good memories, but it’s also going to hold the memoirs of the difficult times. The times that we got through because we held on to each other. I tried handling things on my own and not letting anyone else in, and all it did was make it worse.”
“I can’t just cry and be weak. I’m the leader. It’s my job to be strong. They have to see me and think I’m strong.”
“I’m not ‘they.’ You don’t have to put on your armor for me.”
“I can’t. I can’t talk about this because once I start…I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop.”
“A few months back, you came to me and said that you loved me. You told me to trust you and to open up. Now I’m asking the same thing from you. Pryor, please, talk to me,” he pleads.
When I don’t reply, he takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. He takes the soft cashmere throw and places it around me. He doesn’t rush me to speak. He just sits alongside me and patiently waits.
“In my dream, when I wake up, the first thing I see is my mom…”
I don’t know how long we sat there, but I’m sure it was at least two hours. We talked about everything. I told him how hard I’ve been trying to stay in control and how often I feel like I failed. I told him how much I wished I could see my parents, even if it was for mere seconds. I even admitted to him that if it all came down to Randy and the rest of humanity, I would have to make a choice that I could not live with, either way.
We didn’t just talk about me; we also talked about him. He confided in me and admitted to feeling guilty sometimes that he wasn’t in love with Sparks’ mom. He told me he lived in fear that something bad would happen to her and that he looked in on her at least three times a night. He spoke to a human he met at the park with Sparks and was relieved to learn that every father worries.
And lastly, he told me that till this day, he still misses his mom and wonders how she would have been as a grandmother. He was right; it did feel better to talk. I felt less alone. I felt as if there were still parts of my soul that Malakaro couldn’t touch.
I don’t remember closing my eyes. But I must have, because now when I open them, I find myself lying down on the sofa, with Aaden kneeling beside me.
“I Recharged and I didn’t have any nightmares!”
“Good, I’m glad,” he says as he kisses me gently.
“You know the only time I ever feel safe, I mean really safe, is when I’m with you.”
“I’m happy you said that, because what we’re about to do next is definitely a two-angel activity.”
(PLEASE BE ADVISED THERE IS MATURE CONTENT BELOW. YOUNGER READERS CAN SKIP THIS CHAPTER WITHOUT MISSING ANY PLOT POINTS.)
He scoops me up into his arms and carries me up the stairs. We go past the light and airy master bedroom with the king-size bed and crisp white bedding.
“Aren’t we going in there?” I ask.
“No. I have other plans for you,” he teases.
He takes me into the spa-style master bath. The entire room is lit only by the light from the tea candles on the edge of the large sunken tub. I can make out white dual vanities, stone walls, and a large walk-in shower with dual showerheads and jets. Aaden takes me over to the tub filled with bubbling water and red rose petals. He puts me down on the floor and I start to unbutton my shirt. He slaps my hand away playfully.
“No, it’s your birthday. I’m doing all the work tonight…”
He unbuttons the front of my blouse, exposing my red satin bra. He looks at my chest and quickly looks away, determined not to get distracted. He focuses on taking off my skirt. Once he lets it fall to the floor, I stand before him in only my bra and panties.
My bra unhooks in the front, so the moment he releases it, my hardened, distended nipples ache for his attention. He can’t help but look at my bare breasts, which weakens his resolve. But being the true stubborn angel that he is, he refuses to give in to his lust and desires.
He kneels down before me, reaches up, and hooks his index fingers around the fabric of my panties. He grazes my thighs lightly as he slides them down to the floor. It’s getting more difficult for him to stay on task. So much so that when he stands up, his hands tremble slightly, forcing him to bite down on his lower lip and swallow hard. He summons a small vial of Tam; I drink the liquid birth control and the vial disappears.
I then gently place my hand on the side of his face. He kisses the inside of my palm and groans, knowing a simple kiss will not be enough for him. He goes to reach out for my breasts, but stops himself, knowing we will never make it to the tub if he gives in.
I admire his resolve, but I also seek to destroy it. I take his hand and place it between my thighs. His fingers make contact with my warm, slippery center. He hasn’t even kissed me, yet there’s a silky river of longing between my thighs.
Now, his need to place himself inside me is so strong, he leans forward and rests his head on my shoulder. I push his fingers even deeper inside me; he growls. His eyes turn black. He’s in full demon mode now. Being in a relationship with an angel is nice, but only making love to the demon can make me this wet.
Aaden is true to his nature, and no matter how much he wants me, he is determined to carry on with his plan. He picks me up and places me in the tub of hot water. The instant I feel the water on my skin, I start to relax.
He places his large hands on my shoulders and begins to massage them. His touch is firm but gentle. He presses the balls of his thumbs along the ridge of my shoulder blades. He kneads the back of my neck, my arms, and my fingers. I sigh as the tension escapes my body. He kneels down beside the tub and just looks at me. It’s as if he wants to freeze this moment in his mind.
Aaden then reaches over to the nearest shelf for a sponge and small white bottle. He pours the thick gel from the bottle onto the sponge. The heavenly scent of vanilla and jasmine hits the air. He dips the sponge into the water. He then runs it along my shoulders, my back, then around to my stomach and legs. After he’s lathered up my entire body, he soaks the sponge again and squeezes the excess water over my breasts.
Then he puts the sponge down and uses his hand to explore me. When he runs his finger across my lips, I part them and suck on it. The warmth surrounding his finger gives him a preview of what’s to come. He can no longer stand it. He helps me out of the tub and into the large shower to rinse off.
As the water pours down on me, I imagine what it’s going to feel like having him inside me. I picture his tongue traveling across my nipples, down to my stomach, and finally between the folds of my center. When I think about the sensations that will erupt when he reaches the engorged tip hidden deep inside, I purr.
I didn’t know I was touching myself until I heard him groan from outside the glass door of the shower. Watching me had caused him to take his clothes off. Now, he stands, naked and aching to touch me. His willpower is gone, and looking at the length of his member, so is mine.
&
nbsp; He storms inside the shower, grabs me by my throat, and slams me against the wet wall. He hungrily feasts on my lips, neck and down to my chest as the water rains down on us. He pops the rosy pink peaks of my breasts in his mouth and sucks vigorously. I reach down and stroke along the length of him. He curses softly under his breath.
Without warning, he hoists me up higher against the wall and parts my legs so that his mouth is in line with the center of my thighs. His tongue thoroughly explores inside me. It uncovers previously unknown points of pleasure that make it impossible to stay still.
Once he suckles on the pulsating tip hidden deep inside me, I buck forward and wrap my legs around his neck. I pull on his hair and grind my hips into his mouth. His tongue creates a frenzy inside me that makes me lose track of time and space.
I don’t even remember making it to the bedroom, but somehow we did. And now he’s on top of me. He ravishes me, leaving no spot untouched. I can feel him against me, hard and eager to go where only his lips have been.
I don’t want him to get there yet. I want to enjoy this, enjoy him. I flip over so that I’m on top and he looks up at me with lust in his eyes. I straddle him and slow the pace down by kissing him tenderly.
I start by sucking on his earlobe and exploring his neck with my lips. I kiss my way down to the front of his neck, his collarbone, and on to his nipple. It seems it’s extra sensitive tonight, so I take advantage and coil my tongue around it before I take it into my mouth. He sighs heavily.
I glide my lips across his abs until I come to the patch of skin just above his member. I graze it lightly with my fingertips and then my lips. The blood rushes towards his center, making what was already at full attention now absolutely rock hard.
My lips and fingers get acquainted with the patch of skin under his member. Once I start exploring, I find places he’s never been touched, places he didn’t know needed attention. When I tease, lick, and suck on those places, the second strongest angel in the world begs.
“Pry…please…please.”
When he can no longer stand it, I take him into my mouth and warm him with the circular motions of my tongue. He gasps loudly as the current of pleasure zips through him and forces him to drop his head back. Watching him in the throes of ecstasy sends a flood of longing between my legs. I need him in me. Now. I wrap my hand around his ample member and impale myself onto him.