by Kim Loraine
The club is filled with patrons, mostly men, and all making my jealousy rise as they joke and laugh, waiting to see my Selah perform. The thought of these jackasses getting their rocks off on memories of the sway of her perfect breasts, the roundness of her ass, her creamy skin… Fuck, I can’t handle it.
“Uh, Sariel? You need to tone it down…like, a lot.”
My gaze snaps to his. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
He gestures to me. “You’re damn near glowing. You should see your eyes.”
Glancing down my body, I see the faint aura of gold surrounding me. Shit. I’m using my power without even thinking about it now. “I can’t be here.” Storming across the room, I burst through the door marked Employees Only and stalk down the hall, searching for her.
“Holy hell, you’re the guy. The guy. Selah’s…whatever you are.” A cute brunette with wavy, chin-length hair and wide brown eyes stares up at me with awe in her expression.
“Where is she?” I bite out the words, trying to contain myself and not scare this woman.
“She’s not here.”
My chest tightens. “She’s supposed to be.”
“No. I haven’t seen her in over a week.” She takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. A surprisingly familiar gesture, but I don’t stop her. The look she offers me is one of pity, and I don’t have the nerve to break contact. “I’m sorry to tell you this, honey. Word is she quit and ran off to get married.”
As if she’s punched me in the gut, all the air leaves my lungs.
Married.
No. This can’t be fucking happening.
She is mine.
Sariel’s hands glide over my body, sending waves of need crashing through me. The heat of the afternoon sun blankets us even under the shade of the pistachio tree. This is a dream. One I’ve wished for every night over the last few weeks. I haven’t been able to escape the cloud of control Adam has over me for more than a few minutes at a time, but every time is longer, and I’m gaining strength. I don’t understand what’s happening, but I need to get away.
A moan escapes me as Sariel brings me back to this subconscious reprieve. He nuzzles my neck and lowers us to the ground. God, I want him. It feels like we’ve been apart far too long, like we’re coming home every time we touch, like we’re destined.
“Selah, where have you been hiding?” The rasp of his deep voice makes me wonder if he’s been just as desperate for me as I him.
“I’ve been here. Waiting.”
His fingers grip my nightgown and slide the fabric up my thighs as he presses his hips between my legs. “Why?” That one word holds so much emotion, but the one at the forefront is heartbreak.
“Because you’re mine.”
Brows pulling together, he stares at me with undisguised confusion. “Then why would you marry him? Why keep me away?”
I’m not sure what he’s talking about. In the back of my mind, I can see Adam, feel the strange control he has over me as it tugs at my consciousness, but I’m not married to him. As the weeks have passed, I’ve been able to break out of his pull, distance myself, stop letting him do what he wanted to me. Because he’s not Sariel. “I don’t understand. Why would you think—”
“No, baby. Don’t tell me. Just let me have you. Right now, here, in this place, it’s just us.”
Spreading my legs wider, I reach down and grasp his length over the thin fabric of his pants. I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything. My pussy aches to be filled by him, my breasts swell, and I know if he would only touch me, he’d find me slick with desire.
“Take me. Make me yours,” I almost moan.
Those silver irises flare and brighten as, in one smooth movement, my gown is gone, pulled over my head and tossed aside, leaving me completely naked before him.
“Fuck, Selah. There has never been another who compares to you. Never.”
A bolt of pure lust coils in my center, making my clit throb with the need to be touched.
“Sariel,” I whine, not caring one bit that I’m begging.
Lifting my hips, I attempt to close the distance between my core and his cock, but he pulls back. “Not yet, baby. You’re not ready for me.”
His smirk only adds fuel to the already blazing fire in my blood. He’s right, though. I’m not ready. His cock is long and thick, and I know I need him to prepare me or it will hurt.
“Then stop fucking playing with me and get me ready,” I order.
The growl that comes from his throat makes my nipples harden to the point of pain. Sliding down my torso, he pulls one of the tightened buds into his mouth, sucking, pulling, nibbling. Oh, holy hell. My hips buck involuntarily under his attention, but he stills them with one large palm against my belly. Fingers inching closer to the place I want them most, he continues to focus on my breast with his mouth, and for a moment, I fear he’ll never give me what I want.
“I can smell your desire. Are you wet for me, my love?” The vibration of his words murmured around my nipple takes me from needy to hovering on the edge of release.
“Why don’t you see for yourself?”
Pleasure bursts from my clit the instant his fingers slide over the swollen bundle of nerves. My back arches, and I let out a groan so loud, birds flee the tree above our heads. Still riding out the orgasm, I squirm when he releases my nipple and pulls away. I’m about to protest, but his lips close over my still-pulsing clit and two long fingers slide deep inside me.
The pleasure borders on pain as he sucks and circles, thrusting in and out with his fingers as my walls continue to clench around him. I’m not done coming, but already another orgasm waits on the horizon. “It’s too much,” I cry. “I can’t.”
He releases my clit and rolls his gaze up to meet mine. “You can, and you will.”
I’m about to protest, but he blows a stream of cool air over my pussy before curling his fingers inside me and returning his tongue to my core. Tears spring to my eyes as the pressure of my climax builds. Then he replaces his lips with fingers, rubbing tight circles as his other hand leaves my pussy begging for more. His mouth crashes down on mine while he settles his hips between my spread legs and the tip of his cock presses at the entrance to my body.
“You are mine, Selah. Never forget.” Urgent mercury eyes find mine as he slowly sinks inside.
I bite back a cry at his invasion. Even though he’s prepared me, his size takes a moment for me to accommodate. A small thread of panic hits me as I realize he’s not wearing protection, but as real as this feels, I know it’s a dream. Fingers threading in his tawny hair, I pull his face closer to me, needing his kiss more than I need his words.
As he seats himself fully inside me, he groans against my mouth. His unspoken words hang in the air around us. This is right. This is precious. I am yours.
I don’t know if he’s actually invading my thoughts or if I’m just attuned to him, but I know the words are true. His hips roll as he begins moving, dragging himself out and plunging back in, over and over. I want to be closer, I want to feel his heartbeat against my breast. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I cling to him as he fills me, and when he sits back on his knees, taking me with him, I cry out as he sinks as far as my body will allow. My breasts rub against the slight spray of golden hair across his chest, the coarseness making tingles break out over my entire body.
“Sariel,” I groan as he moves me over him.
“I need… Oh, fuck, Selah. I need to give you everything I have.”
It’s a strange way of saying it, but by the tension in his jaw, the trembling of his body as he tries to hold back, I see he means he needs to come. I want him to. God, I want him to flood me with his pleasure and leave his mark on me.
“Yes.” It’s only one word, but he grips my hips so hard, I would worry he’d leave bruises if this weren’t a dream. Pumping into me, he quickens his pace, his thrusts rough and deep until I’m throwing my head back and screaming, lost in my own climax as he stiffens.
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br /> “Selah,” he groans, clutching me to him as he spills his orgasm into my body.
My eyes open, core still pulsing with the remnants of pleasure. God, that didn’t feel like a dream. It felt more real than anything I’ve ever experienced. Sitting up, I sigh and stretch. I need to have more dreams like that. No risk. Hot sex. Sariel.
As I stand, a flood of wetness trails down my inner thigh, making me stop in my tracks. No fucking way. It can’t be real. But as I rush to the shower and pull off my nightgown, I see the red marks on my hips where he’d gripped me and the remnants of his desire on my thigh.
No fucking way.
The door to my bathroom opens and closes, sending a wave of dread through me. Adam stands in the doorway, clad only in boxer shorts, looking sated.
What the hell just happened?
I have to get away from this man.
Present day, Seattle
Try as I might, I haven’t been able to meet Selah in her dreams again. I’ve used my power more than I should have to attempt to break through the barrier between us. Now, as I lie in my bed, still unable to go to her, all I have are my thoughts. A week is too long to be without her. My whole body hums as I bask in the memory of her tight heat covering my cock, and I harden, needing her all over. I could spend every moment inside her and it wouldn’t be enough. Not after being without her for so long. The vision of those perfect breasts bouncing with every thrust of my hips sends an ache straight to my balls. Palming my length, I stroke long and slow. Fuck, I could come right fucking now. I can still smell her, still taste her. I need more.
I grip my shaft a little harder, rolling my palm over the crown and back down. I wish it was her hand, her mouth, her tits, maybe even her ass. Biting my lower lip, I let my head fall back into the pillow as my movements become more measured and that familiar rush of pleasure begins to build in my spine.
“Selah,” I whisper, as her gorgeous eyes flash through my mind. Breaths coming in harsh gasps, I arch my back and my legs tense as I reach the pinnacle of my pleasure. My cock jerks and my toes curl as jet after jet of my seed shoots across my belly. The orgasm is good, but nowhere near as mind-blowing as when I’d filled her with my come.
With a sigh, I stand and head to the shower, turning the spray on full blast. I don’t wait for the water to warm, instead opting to stand under the ice-cold stream in hopes the temperature will dull my arousal. My back burns as the wings trapped under the skin begin to shift and press outward, trying to break free even though they don’t exist in a corporeal form. Ignoring the unsettling feeling, I wash my body and work to clear my mind of Selah.
As I step out of the bathroom, towel wrapped firmly around my waist, I stop at the sound of voices in the living room. Who the hell is in my home? Pulling on a pair of jeans, I walk out of my room and find Devin and Willow sitting at my dining room table. Well, Devin is sitting, Willow is draped over his lap, her red hair covering her face as she whispers something in his ear. He chuckles and slides one hand over her shoulder and down her back.
“Did I invite you over, Devin?” I growl, annoyed and frustrated.
Willow sits up and has the grace to look at least a small bit embarrassed. “We came to check on you. Devin said you’ve been having a hard time since Selah…well, since she got married.”
Something inside my chest twists at the reminder. All we have is in dreams. Her husband has her physical body.
“I’m fine.”
She cocks a russet eyebrow and shakes her head. “No, you’re not. But I get it.” Putting herself in a fighting stance, she smirks. “Want to spar? I’m getting kind of rusty. It’d be nice to get some practice in.”
The idea of hitting something doesn’t sound too bad. It might do the trick to pull me out of this rapidly deteriorating mood. Taking a step forward, I’m stopped by the wall of Devin’s body.
“You aren’t touching my girl.” He all but growls the words, his posture defensive and possessive.
“Relax, I’m not going to take her up on the offer. I can’t fight a woman, even if she’s stronger than two of me.”
“Chicken-shit,” she trills from behind the angry vampire between us.
“Realist,” I counter.
The air shifts as Gabriel appears in the corner. He’s wearing a smirk as he leans against the wall and takes in the scene. “Well, isn’t this a pretty picture?”
“Feathers! Miss me?” Devin crows, holding his arms out as though he plans to hug Gabriel.
Heaving a long-suffering sigh, the angel shoves off the wall and moves as far away from Devin as possible. “I missed you as much as one can miss the itch on their backside.”
Devin lets out a bark of laughter. “Still haven’t caught on to the way people talk yet, I see. Adaptation, friend. It’s crucial to survival in the big bad world.”
Gabriel frowns. “I don’t need to survive. I’m an archangel of God, sent to—”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Devin waves his hands, chuckling as he tucks Willow into his arms.
“Why are you here, brother?” I ask, knowing he’ll have something to distract me.
“Lucifer.”
My shoulders stiffen. “Where is he?”
“He’s here. I can sense him, but just barely. He hasn’t come out of hiding in a very long time.”
Willow raises her hand. “Uh, yeah he has. Remember that time he slit my wrists and Devin made me a vampire?”
Gabriel shakes his head. “That wasn’t him at full power. He was barely scratching the surface of what he can do. He hadn’t even manifested a physical body.”
“Wait. He’s more powerful than what I saw?” Willow’s already pale cheeks blanch further.
“He is more powerful than me, Michael, and Sariel combined.”
“Shit,” Devin mutters.
My gut twists at the thought of Lucifer roaming the streets of Seattle. There’s no telling what trouble he has already started. The vampires in the room both snap their attention to the door an instant before the bell rings.
“Who the hell is that?” Devin asks.
“How should I know?” I work to keep the annoyance from my tone.
“Oh, I hope it’s another evangelist trying to help you find God.”
Heaving a sigh, I fight the chuckle that wants to escape. “If they only knew.”
The rare smile I’m sporting freezes on my face the moment I swing open the front door. Selah stands in front of me, a large overnight bag clutched between her fingers, her entire body shaking.
“Selah, what—”
“Please let me in?” The fear is coming off her in waves as I nod and step aside.
Her hair hangs down her back, dripping wet. From the look of her, she walked here in the pouring rain. I can see every curve on her body, her tight nipples pressing against the soaked fabric of her thin shirt. I can’t help it, my cock jerks as she inhales sharply and her breasts jut forward.
“What’s going on, baby?”
She drops her bag on the floor and wraps her arms around her middle as I walk her into the living room. Grabbing a blanket off the back of the armchair, I wrap her in the plush fabric and pull her to me. She’s shivering so hard, her teeth clatter together.
Pressing my lips to her temple, I hold her tightly, willing my body to warm her, to calm her. “My love, I need you to tell me what’s wrong so I can help.”
“I…I can’t go home. There’s something wrong with Adam.”
His name turns my heart to lead. Her husband. But then she looks up at me, her wide-open gaze making my chest swell. She’s left her husband and come to me.
“It’s all right, baby. I’ve got you.”
“Sariel?” Devin’s voice cuts through my thoughts, bringing with it the reminder that Selah and I are not alone. The moment he steps closer to her, murmuring, “Is she all right?” a possessiveness so strong I can’t control it comes over me.
When he reaches out toward her, I growl, “Don’t fucking touch her, Devin.”
“Shit, enough with the alpha-male bull. Between you and Galen, I’m so fucking tired of navigating your mood swings. I could break your neck with one well-placed slap. Don’t forget who is the vampire and who is practically human, Sariel.”
Selah’s face pales and she gasps. “Did he say vampire?”
Damn it all to hell and back.
“I’m pretty sure he just said he’s a vampire,” I say, trying to keep my shit together. I almost begin to laugh hysterically as I take in my situation. I’m standing in the arms of a fallen angel with a vampire in front of me. My life has taken a turn toward insanity.
“I did, and I am.” Devin’s tone holds amusement, but I can’t handle that at the moment. I’m terrified Adam will come for me, that somehow he’ll find me.
“Devin, get the fuck out of here,” Sariel hisses.
“Fine, fine. I’ll leave you two to…hash things out. Willow and I need to hunt down some dinner anyway.”
I can’t bring myself to let go of Sariel’s shirt, needing the spicy scent of him to help me stay calm. He presses a soft kiss to my temple and murmurs words I don’t understand against my hair. The room is quiet, but a heavy presence looms over us, turning my attention from the broad chest in front of me to the large man standing next to the fireplace. He’s dressed like a biker, but he has the face of…well…an angel.
“Who is he?” I whisper.
Keeping his arms wrapped possessively around me, Sariel sighs. “Selah, meet Gabriel, my brother.”
Brother? For a brief instant, I’m excited to be meeting his family, then I remember what Sariel is. “Gabriel…as in—”
“Messenger of God,” Gabriel supplies. “And you, beautiful Selah, are the reason for this disaster.”
He steps toward me, eyes blazing, jaw set. Oh shit. Sariel moves me behind him before Gabriel reaches me. His hands grip my hips as he takes a protective stance.
“Do not touch her, brother. She is mine.”
Gabriel chuckles. “I am well aware of that. Now, move aside, Sariel. I won’t harm her.”
Strangely, I know he’s telling the truth. A feeling of peace emanates from him. He won’t hurt me. Moving to the side, I close the distance between myself and Gabriel.