“Lean back,” he says and we both set our thermoses down and lie on our backs next to each other on the picnic blanket, pulling the other blanket over us for warmth. He reaches for my hand, as he always does. His hand is large and warm and I love the feel of his fingers threaded through mine.
“That’s the Milky Way,” he says, pointing to the swath of stars and light with his free hand. And those two patches of glowing light,” he says as he points over to the right, “are the greater and lesser Magellanic Clouds.”
“It’s amazing,” I breathe. We sit silent for long minutes, absorbing the awesome beauty before us. “It makes me feel very small,” I say softly, “and connected. To everything.”
He turns his head and meets my eyes. “I knew you’d get it.”
He holds my gaze and reaches over to pull me close. “And now, Miss Jane, I’m going to kiss you under these stars, for quite a while … if you’re amenable, that is.”
I smile. “Oh, I’m amenable, Mr. Ronin. Do the same rules apply?”
“Yes,” he laughs, “and I must warn you that I plan to get exceptionally creative again.”
“You’re very gifted in the creativity department.”
“As are you,” he says with a mischievous smile, “truly inspiring.”
I laugh as he draws the blanket over us some more and then pulls me in for a long, slow kiss.
And then, under the ornament of the Milky Way and the vast expanse of stars in the universe, we explore together how deeply inventive we can be.
Chapter Forty-Four
“Maybe we should call it a night,” Alexander says as we lie still, holding hands, looking up at the stars.
I nudge against him. “Very funny.”
“What do you think of my plan so far?” he asks, turning his head to look at me.
I hold his gaze for a moment before answering. “I know you’re expecting me to make a joke here but my heart feels so full right now, I don’t think I can.” Tears well up in my eyes. “This has all been so beautiful. And perfect. I love your plan. And I love you. More than I can express in words.”
He squeezes my hand and rolls over to kiss my lips softly. “It’s not too much?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. Although I have to say, you’ve taken anticipation to greater heights than I ever thought possible.”
He laughs. “I’m a firm believer in the power of a slow build.”
“Anticipation makes it sweeter,” I say with a smile. “You’ve proven that, many times.”
He leans over and kisses me again.
“I don’t know why but I’m feeling a little nervous,” I say.
“You are? Do you want to stop?”
“No, not at all. It’s just that I’ve been looking forward to this for so long and this night has been so perfect and we’re both, obviously, more than ready … but I just don’t want it to be a letdown when we get back to San Mar … and finally stop with the rules ...”
His eyes show compassion. “Declan,” he says, stroking my cheek “we could never let each other down. Even if the night stopped here, it already outstrips every sexual encounter I’ve ever had.”
I smile, my mortal heart swollen to outsize proportions.
“I love you,” he says, holding my gaze. “We’re going to take this slow … and we can stop at any time. It’s all about communication. We tell each other what feels good. With words and sounds. The same way we’ve been doing all night.”
I nod. “I love you,” I say softly.
“Are you ready to go to our perfect spot?”
I nod and we kiss and as we lie together under the stars, Alexander transforms us until we’re soaring as light back to San Mar.
We land in our space on the mountain, facing out to the stunning beauty spread out like a painting before us. It’s still dusk, as if we never left, and the view out over the trees to the ocean in the distance is seared with color. Pink and orange streak through the blue sky as the sun sets over glistening water. We stand, with our arms around one another, appreciating the splendor.
When we turn around, I gasp at the sight before me. There’s a small cabin with golden light flickering through the window, erected in the spot where we usually lay our picnic blanket.
I turn to Alexander with my mouth agape. “How did you—?”
“I’ve been busy,” he says. “And don’t worry, the park is closed and I know you’re going to ask but I can take it all down and cart it away later, in minutes.”
I laugh. “I wasn’t going to ask.”
“Yes you were.”
“All right,” I admit, “I was.”
He laughs. “I thought we’d watch the sunset and then go inside.”
“That sounds perfect.”
He goes into the cabin and returns with a picnic blanket that he unfurls on the ground before me. We sit down on the blanket and he pulls me close into his arms. We look out over the sweeping vista as the sky blazes with vibrant hues and the sun makes its last stand, dipping below the horizon. Then Alexander turns and kisses me softly. “Let’s go inside,” he says, his words filled with promise. He takes my hand and my stomach clenches in anticipation as he leads me to the cabin. When we walk inside, I gasp at what he’s done. All along the beams of the open-framed walls are flickering candles. The votive holders are a beautiful array of blue and white frosted glass. I spin around slowly to see that they surround the room, hundreds of them, casting a romantic glow. In the middle of the space is a large, rustic four-poster bed made up with a fluffy white duvet and overstuffed pillows. And on a small table on the side of the bed is a vase filled with delicate blue and white forget-me-nots.
“The colors of your aura continue to inspire me,” he says softly.
I meet his eyes and smile, my eyes welling up. Once more I slowly turn to take in the sight all around me and, with heart overflowing, I meet his eyes again and whisper simply, “It’s lovely, and perfect.” Then I swallow the lump in my throat and add, “Thank you.”
He smiles and steps towards me. “No more rules,” he says, his voice low and his eyes never leaving mine. He slowly unzips my dress and I let it fall to the floor. I remove his jacket and slowly unbutton his shirt and slide it off his shoulders. When I open his belt and unzip his pants he takes a deep breath and we both smile. He unclasps my bra, gliding it off my shoulders, and slips his hands under my panties at my hips, easing them down slowly. “You’re so beautiful,” he says, tracing me with his eyes. I slip my hands under his boxer briefs and slide them off, very slowly, and he watches me, eyes dark and molten. He lifts me effortlessly, still holding my gaze, and carries me to the bed where he lays me down and his mouth finds mine. His kiss is soft at first, teasing, and then he parts my lips and the kiss deepens, his tongue stroking mine in a languid, sensuous dance. We kiss and touch, everywhere, and the feeling is beyond exquisite. I moan softly and he answers with low groans from deep within his throat as our hands roam freely, unbound by previous rules. Every nerve is electrified, my whole being in a heightened state of awareness as he kisses every inch of me, slowly, and whispers hot in my ear, “I dreamed of this.”
Slowly, he spreads my legs with his knees and glides his desire over my most sensitive area and when I moan at the delicious pleasure he smiles. My body is aching for him, longing for him, and when I think I can no longer bear it, he pauses at my entry and looks into my eyes. “You ready?” he breathes, his eyes dark pools of desire. “Yes,” I whisper, every nerve ending on fire, wanting him more than anything else in the world. “We’ll take it slow,” he says, his voice low as he holds my gaze and presses against my entry until I feel him thrust inside. “Ah,” I cry out, startled at the fullness. He stops, allowing me to adjust to the feeling of having him inside me. “You okay?” he breathes, his eyes never leaving mine. I nod and he smiles in that way that makes my stomach clench. “I’m going to move now, slowly. Let me know how this feels,” he says and then he starts to move, very slowly, as promised, and I gasp at
the pleasure. “Good?” he asks. “More than good,” I breathe and he smiles back, eyes darkening again with desire. “I love you,” he whispers as he pushes in again, deliciously slow, and I marvel at the satisfying fullness. He continues the slow thrusts and when I wrap my legs around him and moan softly his eyes smolder and his mouth comes down on mine. We kiss, softly at first, and then with more urgency, as we continue to make love and I realize that Alexander was right: this is far, far better than I ever could have imagined. A swell of tension builds and concentrates within me, slowly and powerfully, climbing higher and higher as Alexander continues to move, slowly at first and then gradually faster, until I can feel that we’re both reaching a flash point of no return. We cry out each other’s names as our energies join and detonate in a blazing eruption of brilliant white light, leaving us spent and gasping as waves of intense pleasure roll through me. Alexander grips me tight and collapses on my chest, breathing hard as we ride out the blissful after-effects together. He looks up and meets my eyes.
“I want to say I love you but I can’t speak,” he says with effort.
I laugh, still catching my breath. “I don’t think you’ve ever been speechless before.”
“I’ve never felt like that before. Did you feel it, too?”
I nod. “Is that how it always is the first time?”
“In a word, no,” he says with a laugh. He looks into my eyes and shakes his head. “I should have known.”
“Known what?”
“That being with you is a never-ending incredible surprise.”
I smile.
“It usually takes time to get better,” he explains, “as partners get to know one another and they communicate what they like.”
“It’s going to get better?”
He laughs. “I guess we’ll have to find out.”
Alexander kisses me, and then we talk, and we kiss and talk some more, and eventually we find out, many times, that, yes, amazingly, it does get better and better when you’re with the person you love.
Epilogue
As Alexander holds me in his arms, I begin to drift off to sleep in his warm embrace, wholly content and smiling dreamily.
I watch as the candles glow beautifully along the walls and, as my eyes begin to flutter closed, a soft gust of wind causes the candles to flicker. At the same moment, a forgotten memory washes over me of my father’s voice, whispering an urgent message to me when I was out in the ocean, drifting among the swells:
“Protect the baby, Declan. At all costs.”
Thank You
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Fallen! If you’d like to find out how Declan and Alexander’s story ends, please turn the page for an excerpt from Revelation, the third and final book in the Guardian series, available now.
And thank you in advance for supporting authors and helping other readers by considering leaving an online review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or your favorite blog/website forum for romance readers. I read all my reviews and they are all sincerely appreciated.
You can sign up for my newsletter (to be the first to hear about new releases) and connect with me online at ajmessenger.com, facebook.com/ajmessengerauthor, or @aj_messenger on Twitter. I love hearing from you! Thanks for your kind support.
Books by A.J. Messenger
The Guardian Series
(a paranormal angel romance series):
Guardian (Book One)
Fallen (Book Two)
Revelation (Book Three)
More titles coming soon. Sign up for A.J.’s “new release newsletter” at
ajmessenger.com or facebook.com/ajmessengerauthor
Excerpt from Revelation
Preface
In my dream, if it is a dream, the baby is smiling, with wondrous emerald green eyes and a distinct sparkle.
Finn, Liz, and Chief Stephens are all gathered around as my mom holds the baby in her arms with a depth of love I can feel in my heart.
But why is my mom crying? And why does everyone look so sad?
And where is Alexander?
Revelation: Chapter One
This can’t be.
I’m pregnant?
I stare at the plus sign on the test in my hand but I still don’t quite believe it. Even if it is the seventh test stick I peed on.
It’s been six weeks since Alexander took me on our amazing night flight around the world and we made love in our perfect spot in the San Mar Mountains. At first I dismissed the message I remembered from my dad as either a dream or a product of synapses firing in a supremely relaxed state. I mean, c’mon, I just made love with an angel, who knows what that can do to a person?
But now, staring at the pregnancy test in my hand, which I purchased on a lark because of a missed period not thinking in a million years it would come back positive, I can’t help but wonder if my memory of my father’s message was real. Alexander said that discovering the truth of what happened could have freed his soul to move on. Maybe he’s trying to communicate. And help me. When I think about it, it had to have been my dad who saved me out in the ocean. Otherwise, I honestly can’t explain how I made it to shore. And now he’s trying to warn me: Protect the baby. At all costs.
The baby. Can it really be true that I have a life growing inside me? I place my palm over my stomach and imagine the warm, white light in my core protecting all that’s within.
As the shock slowly wears off I smile and imagine the amazingly cute baby Alexander and I would make, but then the reality of the situation breaks through again. I just turned nineteen and I also just started my first year of college two weeks ago. Depending on when exactly this supposedly impossible pregnancy occurred … that would make the baby born before I even complete my first year at UCSM. How is that even going to work? Sorry professor, I’ll have to reschedule my finals because I’ll be busy having a baby that day. I chuckle at my ridiculously pragmatic thoughts and then I whipsaw over to a decidedly panicky feeling in my chest.
But the idea of a baby—Alexander’s baby—although unexpected, sends such joy through me that I can hardly sit still. I’m meeting him at the beach in an hour to go surfing. I want to tell him but I have no idea how he’ll react. He insisted it was impossible for guardians to have babies—they can’t extend the line in that way. Guess angels don’t always know everything.
But what if he’s not happy with the news? Or what if this breaks some crazy guardian rule I don’t know about? But how could it break a rule, Declan, if it was supposedly impossible?
I dismiss all of my meandering worries almost the moment I have them. Alexander has shown me time and again that we talk things through and we’re honest with each other. Whatever this means, we’ll figure it out together … and he’ll be thrilled.
I hope.
Revelation: Chapter Two
“Do you ever wonder,” I ask Alexander as we’re walking with our surfboards, “why we were drawn together like we were?” We’re nearly down all the steps to the beach.
He looks over at me and smiles. “In one of my lives, my parents were very different but they had an especially good connection. I remember when people used to ask my mum how they managed to get on so well she used to smile and say: ‘There’s no greater mystery than whom we spark to and why.’ I never realized how true that was until I sparked to you.”
“You think we’re very different?” I ask.
“No,” he laughs, “we’re actually a lot alike. I’ve just never sparked to someone the way I sparked to you.”
I smile. I like that term sparked. It perfectly encapsulates how I felt when I saw Alexander for the first time. And every time I see him, in fact. “Do you think,” I ask, “that if two people like us spark together, that something impossible can happen?”
We reach a good spot on the beach and he sets down his backpack and jabs his surfboard into the sand and looks over at me. “Sure,” he says, “anything is possible … but I don’t understand, where is this going?”
; “If anything is possible,” I say to him as he’s pulling up his wetsuit and maneuvering his arms in, “is it possible I could be pregnant?”
He yanks the long pull tab to zip up the back of his wetsuit and looks at me. “What?”
“We’ve had sex,” I say. “A lot.”
He smiles wryly. “Yes, if two mortals had sex as often as we have without protection, pregnancy would definitely be on the table. But I’m a guardian, we can’t have progeny, it doesn’t work that way.”
“But what if I am pregnant?”
He stares at me for a long beat. “What are you saying?”
I swallow. “I’m saying that I bought seven different pregnancy tests from the drugstore and they all came up positive.”
He grabs onto the surfboard in the sand beside him. “Are you serious?”
I smile. “Yes.”
“How can that be?” I detect a flash of what looks like fear in his eyes, alarming me. But just as quickly a range of other emotions play over his face until eventually he settles on a very slow, very astounded smile. He walks toward me with surprised, joyful eyes and lifts me into his arms, spinning us around. “You’re pregnant?”
I nod and he brings me back down so he can plant an exuberant kiss on my lips.
“How?” he asks.
“The usual way, I guess.”
He laughs. “This isn’t supposed to be possible.”
“Maybe it’s our spark? Or sprite power?”
He stares at me, still incredulous. “That’s amazing,” he says, his eyes alight.
“Or ‘amazeballs’ as Liz would say,” I add.
He laughs. “It’s incredible, really,” he says again, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you sure? How far along are you?”
“I don’t know yet, but I have a feeling it happened the first night we were together, so it could be six weeks.”
Fallen (The Guardian Series Book 2) Page 19