by Kim Loraine
Selah stirs as I carry her through the entrance of my home. Looking around, I’m glad I took Galen’s offer to live here. During my time with him as my host, I became quite familiar with this place, and have always been fond of the open floor plan and neutral decor. What Galen thought of as simple and easy to maintain, I find calming and comfortable. Now, with Selah curled up against my chest, all I can think of is getting her upstairs and safely in my bed.
“Sariel,” she moans.
My heart stutters at the sound of my name on her lips. It is pure perfection to hear it after so long. I wonder idly what she’s dreaming, but then it becomes all too clear when she arches her back and squirms as I place her on the mattress.
“Oh God. Yes.” The sound of her moans send desire racing through my veins.
As much as I try to control myself, I’m a man. I harden in an instant, wanting to truly make her cry out under me. She sighs and whimpers as her dream takes her to heights I can only wish for at the moment. Taking a shuddering breath, I force myself to step back and control the raging need to sink inside her. I have to get away before I give in and touch my lips to hers.
Tearing my gaze from her, I head for the door, knowing if I don’t leave soon, I’ll do something she’s not ready for.
“Sam?” Her husky voice catches me off guard. “Where am I?”
I stand in the doorway, trying to stay relaxed, as if this were totally normal. “Your friend abandoned you outside McCoy’s. You’d had too much to drink and I don’t know where you live, so I brought you to my place so you could sleep it off.”
A frown furrows her brow. “That’s…kind of weird.”
“What was I supposed to do? Frisk you and find your address? You were basically comatose on the sidewalk.”
That’s not technically true, but she doesn’t need to know.
“Ugh, my head hurts.”
“You should go back to sleep. I’ll call a car for you in a few hours.”
An ache shoots through my chest at the look she gives me.
“Will you stay?”
“What?”
“The whole reason I went out with Erica was so I wouldn’t be alone. Now, here I am, in a bed, alone. God, I’m so stupid.” A tear slips down her cheek, causing me to rush across the room without concern for what she really needs right now.
Sliding my fingers between hers, I run my thumb over the soft skin at the top of her hand. “What’s made you so upset?”
“Adam.”
His name sends a wave of jealousy through me, and I grip her hand just a little tighter. “What about him?”
“We… I think we broke up. It’s fine, though. He’s a jerk. You were right. He wasn’t the one for me.”
She’s damn right about that. But the wobble in her voice betrays her. She’s trying to hold it together, but she’s more vulnerable than she’d have me believe.
“I don’t know the man, but anyone who makes you feel this way can’t be good for you.”
It’s as true as I can make it. I’m the only one who is right for her.
“So, do you want to tell me why you think you broke up?”
Her cheeks turn pink, bright spots in their centers. “He thought I was cheating on him.”
My eyebrows raise. “Were you?”
“No. Of course not.”
“So, what would make him think that?”
Scooting to the edge of the bed, she stands and lets out a soft curse while wincing.
“Selah, sit down.” I tug on her hand until she does as I ask.
“I said another man’s name while we were…” The thought of him inside her, touching her, taking what’s mine sends red hot rage through me. “Fooling around.”
“That is pretty serious.”
“The weird thing is, I’ve only heard this name once. I met the man by chance months ago and haven’t seen him since.”
My chest tightens. “What was his name?”
“Sariel.”
I want to scream from the rooftops that I am the man she called out for. But I’m sure if I did that, she’d run. “Well, any man would be angry about his woman calling out another name during sex.”
Her cheeks go even redder. “We weren’t having sex.”
Relief floods me. “Either way. I know if you were with me, I’d want to make sure mine was the only name that left your lips.”
“You talk to me as though we’re old friends, Sam, but we barely know each other. I don’t understand why I’m so comfortable around you.”
Shrugging, I try to play it calm and collected. “Sometimes things are just meant to be.”
With a slight shake of her head, she stands again and I follow. “I don’t believe in fate.”
“You should. Your destiny could be standing right in front of you.”
A flare of awareness passes between us, tethering us and tightening as I cup the back of her neck and run my thumb across her jaw. She sucks in a sharp breath when I dip my head to gently brush my lips over hers.
At the last second, she turns her face, blocking my access to what I want the most. My mouth lands on her cheek, but even that contact is cherished.
“Can you call a car for me? I should go.”
Releasing her, I nod and clear my throat.
The taxi is at my door all too soon. As the car drives away, I will her to look back at me. She doesn’t.
Thousands of years ago, Mesopotamia
Panic races through me as I approach the clearing. I haven’t seen Sariel. Except in my dreams. Last night flashes bright in my memory. That dream that left me a quivering mess. He’d told me he wished to marry me. If only that were true.
My fine dress and delicate jewels feel restrictive and heavy as I duck under the low branches of the tree, heart suddenly pounding so hard, I can hear it. Disappointment settles in my chest as soon as I step into the empty clearing. Of course he isn’t here. He had probably only been a figment of my imagination, a phantom sent to torture me as my wedding approached.
I stand at the water’s edge, listening to the babble as the river slides over rocks. My chest aches, and hot tears burn my eyes. Falling to my knees without a care for my garment, I give in and sob as I picture my life with the fat, balding man my father has chained me to.
Large, warm hands slide over my shoulders and pull me to standing. Before I can turn, I’m crushed back into Sariel’s chest. I’d know his scent, his presence, anywhere.
“Hush, my beauty. What could possibly cause you so much sadness?” His words are murmured against my ear, the brush of his lips igniting me like flame set to a pyre.
“I’m to be married.”
His arms tighten around me as his lips trail down my neck. “That is true.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” I admit.
A low chuckle rumbles from his chest and vibrates along my back. “What makes you think you would ever be able to do that?”
Turning in his arms, I stare into swirling silver irises. “Are you soft in the head? I am leaving. Today. To marry.”
The corners of his lips turn up in a grin. “No. You aren’t.”
I can’t believe him. He refuses to acknowledge reality. “The ship is set to sail in a few hours.”
“And you will not be on it.”
“Sariel—”
“We discussed this, my love. Today is our wedding day. You will never love another. Our souls are joined by fate.”
My heart leaps. It wasn’t a dream. I should be afraid of the magic he wields. But all I feel coming from him is peace. The determination in his eyes is fierce and unwavering. “How can you know this?”
“I know many things. Now, come with me. Be mine.”
The lips I dream of every night draw closer until I can smell his inviting scent and all I want is to taste him. With one shuddering gasp, I close the distance between our mouths and give in to my need for him. A growl falls from his throat as he cups my face with both hands and presses us against the tree. That har
d length between his legs presses insistent and powerful at my belly. I want it inside my body, filling me, claiming me as his wife.
“Sariel, take me. Make me yours now.” My plea comes out a wanton moan.
Stepping back, he slides his hands down my arms. “Not yet. Not until we are wed.” His silver eyes flash with some emotion I can’t place. “Come with me now, my love.”
He links our fingers, and without fighting, even though it is not the choice my family would have me make, I go. Deep down, I know he is right. There’s so much more between us than this primal attraction. When I’m with him, I am whole.
I can’t stop staring at Sariel. My husband. We traveled for two days, until we were certain my father’s reach would be exhausted. And last night, we were married. We’ve settled in a small village where no one knows us. Our small home, comfortable and perfect, is situated near the riverbank with a grove of trees, and fields. I can already envision our children splashing in the water, their hair the same gold as their father’s.
He sleeps curled on his side. His golden hair and bronzed skin seem to glow with ethereal beauty, and I wonder, not for the first time, what it is about him that makes him other. His full lips quirk up in a soft smile as he lets out a sigh and opens his eyes. Those startling silver irises, such a contrast to his coloring, find me and send a pulse of need through my body. We haven’t lain together yet. I had thought he’d take me, make me his on our wedding night, but he didn’t.
“Good morning, wife.” The low rumble of his words flow over me like a lover’s caress.
“Husband.”
“What shall we do today?”
I blush fiercely as his gaze rakes over my form. I’m wearing only a thin shift, and my nipples harden into tight buds under the scrutiny.
His smile turns lascivious as he sits up. “Hmm, maybe you don’t need to answer that question. Your body seems to be telling me exactly what you need, my Selah.”
Oh my. With one sentence, he’s just crushed any worry that he wouldn’t consummate our marriage.
“Have you ever taken a woman?” I ask, pushing through the fear in my voice. What if I’m not enough for him?
“No. You are the only one I have ever desired. The only one I would willingly fall for.”
He’s new to this. Just the same as I. We’ll learn each other together. He plants his feet on the floor and rises to his considerable height. The fierce determination in his expression tugs at my heart. His naked body taking my breath away, I force my gaze from his obvious arousal. He is so beautiful, I almost forget he is mine. This man pledged himself to me for eternity.
With shaking hands, I grasp the edge of my gown and lift, baring my body as he steps closer.
“Put your hands on me, my love. I can’t bear you being so near and not feel your softness on me.”
At the sound of his tense plea, I shiver and let myself feel him. His warm skin is bordering on feverish as my hands roam the hard planes of his stomach and chest. With every slight brush of my fingers, he gasps and shifts.
Euphoria rushes through me as I touch him. This man, this formidable being, is completely under my spell.
My nails scrape along his hipbones, and he groans, “Give me your mouth, love. Give me everything.”
The sun bathes us in warmth as he dips his head and takes my lips for his own. I want to discover him, but as our kiss changes from tender to burning, I can’t slow my body. I stand before my husband, naked, vulnerable, and desperate for him to take me. He breaks the kiss, and his gaze slides over my skin, his straining hardness pressing against my belly.
“Sariel, I need you.”
Jaw tense, he nods once and lifts me until my legs wrap around his hips. The tip of his erection slides over my sex, sending bursts of sensation through me and making me cry out and sink my teeth into his shoulder. He lets out a soft grunt, but turns and places me on the bed, his body hovering over me, his length pressing at my opening. Oh, sweet mercy.
“Look at me while I take you.” His command makes my knees weak. But when he cups my face and brushes my lips with his thumb, my heart nearly gives out at the love behind his eyes. “This is what heaven is, you and I, joined together.”
I can’t breathe as he fills me slowly, the stretch and burn of his invasion unavoidable. But even as the pain crests, pleasure runs through me, and I moan softly. His gaze is tender, but tension furrows his brow. He needs to move, needs to sate his lust, and I can give that to him.
“More,” I whisper. “Give me more.”
Pulling back, he nearly leaves my body before sliding deep inside again. This time, it feels like I’m whole. Sensations unlike anything I’ve ever known build and coil within me as his thrusts become more measured, rhythmic, forceful. With each roll of his hips, his body reaches the innermost part of mine. He groans every time our bodies meet.
“Oh, my Selah.” His words are tight with need as he continues pumping his hips, his movements growing more frantic. “I…I can’t…”
Hands in my hair, he slams his lips against mine and thrusts harder, sending an overwhelming explosion of pleasure through me. My toes curl as it washes over me, and I claw at his back, crying my pleasure into his kiss. Releasing a guttural moan, he floods me with his seed, but his sounds of pleasure soon turn to tortured agony as he pulls free of me, his cock still pulsing. Bright, golden light surrounds him, and I can’t contain my gasp as luminous wings burst from his back. They extend before he lets out a scream and the light and massive wings disappear.
He shudders and drops his hands on either side of my head, panicked eyes focused on mine. I should be terrified, but all I see is the man I love.
Sariel is mine.
He is an angel.
And he is in unimaginable pain.
That much is clear as he sits bereft on the edge of our marriage bed. His bare skin is unmarked, but I know he is hurting. Every shift of his muscles makes him groan in agony.
“Sariel, please let me help you. What has happened?”
“They’re gone,” he whispers, disbelief in his tone. “I…I didn’t know it would hurt so much.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what you are?” I try to keep the accusation from my voice, but in truth, I am terrified of the consequences of our actions.
“You would have left.”
“As I should have. Sariel, you are an angel. I saw your wings. This can’t be between us. We can’t be together.”
His molten mercury gaze blazes as he locks on to me. “This is all I have. This is everything to me. If I don’t have you, I have nothing.”
Heart in my throat, I reach out to cup his cheek. My thumb brushes the fullness of his bottom lip as he leans into my touch.
“And what happens when I die?”
He takes my hand and holds on tight, righteous fury burning in his eyes. “I will languish in Hell, comforted only by the knowledge I had the privilege of loving my soul mate.”
I shake my head and pull away from him, wrapping the thin sheet around my naked body as I rise. “No, I can’t let you do that. You’re a good man, kind and giving. I can’t be the reason you are damned.”
Tugging my thin gown over my head, I drop the blanket to the floor before gathering the rest of my clothes and slipping my feet into my shoes. I will not allow him to do this.
“Where do you think you are going?” The sharp snap of anger in his tone has my heart beating a little bit faster.
“I am removing the temptation.”
His large hand encircles my arm, pulling me back into him before I get very far. “You are my wife.”
“How can I be? In the eyes of God, I am cause for punishment. I saw the pain in your eyes, heard the despair in your voice. I am not worth losing your wings.”
“You are worth every instance of agony I’ve endured. I chose to fall because the alternative, not being with you, would be too painful to bear.”
As his fingers release my arm and drift across my hips, my resolve weakens. Hi
s firm chest presses against my back, the feel of his heartbeat steady on my skin. Maybe a stronger woman would be able to resist this beautiful being. I am not that woman. His hand slides over my waist and down until his warm palm covers my womb.
“I want to fill you with my children, love you for a lifetime, lose myself in you until I can’t any longer.” Heated kisses trail along my neck, his teeth nipping lightly when he reaches my shoulder. “I want to spend every night we have buried inside your welcoming body, leaving a piece of myself behind as a reminder of how I love you.”
I shudder under his attention, willpower gone. How could I have thought, even for a moment, of leaving him? His palm travels up my body until it rests over my heart.
“Do you feel our hearts beating in tandem, my love? We are joined beyond all else. I will never love another because my heart beats for you.”
I have no words as he turns me in his arms and seals our fates with his lips on mine. This kiss holds none of the tenderness of his words. It is fierce and desperate, as though he wants to prove I am his alone. His tongue dances with mine, soft moans vibrating against my lips as he tangles his fingers in my long hair.
His cock presses hard and ready against my hip, insistent and needy. With a slight roll of my hips, I add enough friction to elicit a hiss from him. Breaking our kiss, I take him in hand. The crown glistens with evidence of his arousal, and I deftly swipe the pearly bead of moisture with one finger before sucking it clean.
“Don’t tease me, wife,” he growls, gripping the neck of my gown. “I’ll have you under me before you can be properly prepared to take me.”
My nipples harden, their outline visible under the fabric. “I want you to take me.”
A wicked grin turns up his lips. “Oh, I will. Now that I’ve had you, nothing will keep me from you.”
Present day, Seattle
Selah was in my damned bed, and I let her leave. Why had I done that? She is destined for me, the other half of my soul, the reason I left everything I’d known. And I let her get into the fucking taxi like it was no big deal. Pacing the floor, I run a hand over the stubble on my jaw, frustrated at the human needs I have still not grown accustomed to. My wings burn and itch, a sure sign Michael is calling, but I ignore him. I’m going to bide my time and use my power to find Selah and see her safe. The time to claim her will come soon, and I’d much rather she want me than be unsure. To make certain that happens, I’ll need to know where to find her.