Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers)

by Narome, Casse

  “Wha-What?” I panted.

  “You aren’t getting off that easy. We aren’t coming like this tonight.” A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. He slid both my hands from their hiding places and took the hand that I had been using to caress myself to almost climax. He brought it to his mouth and slowly licked and sucked every single finger separately, tasting me. I felt the vibration of the growl deep in his throat more than I heard it.

  “You smell so good, but, god, you taste even better.” He yanked me to him and our lips met with ferocity that I matched and then exceeded at the taste of me on his lips. That was damn sexy! He pushed me toward the recliner but stopped. I think he was trying to decide where he wanted to take me.

  I inched back, only a breath away. “The wall?” He didn’t accept that so I continued throwing out ideas. “The floor? Table? Shit I don’t care—”

  “Bed. The bed. It’s our first time. It will be in a bed.”

  Well, damn. I didn’t even think of the bed. My heart soared at how sweet and sentimental he was being. Why didn’t I even think about the bedroom? Was I a freak? Before I could answer myself, Eric hoisted me and my legs wrapped around his waist. His right hand secured me with a firm grip on my ass as his left gripped his open pants so they wouldn’t fall. We headed to the room with my soaking wet panties pressed against his stomach.

  “Mayne, don’t wiggle or we will never even make it to your bed. It’s all I can do to not take you here and now from just smelling you. If you move, hell I will fuck you against the wall.” Eric’s voice was hoarse with desire and restraint. I laughed, but I also held my ass still except for the little nibbles and kisses to his neck, right at the hollow beneath his ear.

  Eric let me go over the bed and I bounced once on my butt. I scooted further back as Eric’s pants dropped to the ground, followed by his underwear. I know I saw him the night we fooled around and I gave him head, but I was pretty damn intoxicated that night. Eric was seriously packing. He wasn’t scary big, but he most definitely had more than enough to please and be more than satisfactory while at it.

  Reaching out, he looped his finger around the side of my panties, slipped them off my hips, down my legs, and free from my feet. I squirmed again. I was more than ready. Forget foreplay. Every second with Eric was enough.

  He crawled on the bed with me and scooted between my legs. I laid back holding myself up on my elbows. He reached out his hands to the front of my bra. He hesitated.

  “How much do you like this bra?”

  I shrugged and the bra was gone. He had ripped it from my body and my breasts were now his. He brought his mouth down to them and he was kneading and sucking and whatever else he was doing that felt like heaven.

  My elbows weakened and I fell back, melting into a big puddle. His hands abandoned my breast to caress down my body and entered me. I gasped loudly. His thumb rubbed and pressed my mound sending waves of ecstasy throughout my body, as he thrust his fingers inside of me. I saw stars suddenly and I cried out his name in tears as I climaxed. He didn’t stop. His tongue left my breast as he made his way down to where my pleasure explosion was taking place. He licked every bit of wetness, sparking new desire inside me. He put his mouth up against me sucking until he inserted his tongue inside. Licking until I was again seeing those stars . . . or were they fireworks?

  I was boneless. I was undone. Eric had stolen my body and I was just mist. Mist that only knew pleasure and ecstasy. That’s all. Goodness all throughout my body.

  When I finally semi-returned, I was gazing up into Eric’s eyes.

  “Are you ready?”

  Yes! Yes, I was ready. I had been made for this. For Eric. I was like an instrument that was finally being played correctly. A master was playing me!

  Eric sank into me. He let out a growl and then began his thrusting. Was it just a coincidence that it was to the beat of my heart?

  I shuddered all around him as I let out a soft moan. All of my core tightening around him possessively. Eric dug his hand underneath my hair, holding me in place as I held on behind his left bicep. His body matched mine tempo for tempo as I arched into him. I pulled him closer, burying a passionate moan in his neck as I buried my face against him.

  “Don’t hold it in,” he whispered as he thrust into me harder, clutching my body tighter in his hold as I shivered around him. “I want to hear you.”

  My walls closed in on his cock as they tightened in climax, he moaned in pleasure.

  “Never. I’VE never felt this way.” He grunted, and I responded by bucking my hips up to meet his passionate thrusts. The thin film of sweat that formed between us during our passionate lovemaking caused a sensuous and slick friction whenever our skin met. Eric groaned in ecstasy.

  I trembled and spasmed around him as I screamed out in complete fulfillment while I climaxed. My muscles tightened and wetness rushed down. He was swept away into a climax, ushered there faster by the ecstasy in my body as he reacted to the orgasm he coaxed from me for the third time. As he came, he tilted my head back with a strong pull of my hair and then met my mouth with his as we panted for breath. Eventually, when I no longer trembled around him milking him dry, he withdrew. Still holding me close as he pulled out, untangling his hand from my hair just in time.

  My body went rigid. What had I done! Was Eric going to have to pay for our lovemaking? Had I just sealed his fate and become the reason he’d fall? Valience was right. He should’ve killed me.

  Chapter 13

  I heard Eric sit up as I lay there squeezing my eyes shut. What the hell had I done? I had let the excitement of seeing Eric standing in my apartment take over. I had a plan so we could be together and not cause him any problems and I blew it. I slept with this angel. Damn, that sounded odd to say, but that is what he was and it is what I did. He was the Angel of Death and as he told me only a few weeks before, he always walked on the side of our Lord. Had it really only been a few weeks ago that he had walked into my life? And, oh shit! I sat up, almost hitting him with my head, but he leaned back out of my way.

  “We didn’t use a condom!” It was only a few weeks ago that we met. I didn’t know if he had any diseases. Hell, what if angels had something that could transfer to humans just for incompatibility purposes? I had royally screwed up on so many points in this situation. I had doomed Eric to fall from grace, number one, and now I was going to end up dying from some angel disease! Oh God, what if I was having a baby now?

  “Calm down.”

  Eric sounded way too relaxed.

  “Are you serious right now? Calm down? We just had sex, okay, admittedly awesome sex, the greatest sex I have ever known, but it wasn’t great enough that I am willing to pay with my life for it. We were irresponsible. We could have spread STDs that we don’t even know if each other has. I could be pregnant. I am not ready to be a mother!” I paused. “What are you smiling about?” I barked at him.

  He raised his eyebrow at me. “The greatest sex you have ever had? Really?” His small smile grew into a grin of immense satisfaction.

  “You are kidding me right now, right?” I asked, baffled. I love Eric but I wanted to punch him.

  “Once you calm down and listen, I can tell you that you have no reason to worry. I cannot catch or pass on any disease from a human. Even if I could, I wouldn’t have anything to pass on to you because I haven’t been with anyone but you. Secondly, although I could get you pregnant, it would have to be a conscious choice on both our parts, me being the highest of the celestials. When the time comes I will show you how it works.”

  Wait a minute. Did he just—? Had he said he was a—?

  “You were a virgin!” My mouth was hanging open. I’m sure it was attractive. Eric chuckled, a low, soft, and sexy sound. Duh, of course he was, or he would have already fallen, but, damn, I couldn’t tell. I was his first, his very first, and he had me se
eing stars.

  “I am very flattered you could not tell. I was nervous about that.” He reclined back on the bed and watched me through his eyelashes. Something low inside me soared as I forgot about the last issue that we hadn’t addressed yet.

  I threw my leg over his body, straddling him. His hands rested on my hips. My hair cascaded forward to one side and was starting to curl from the sweat I had worked up from my explosive orgasms, the orgasms my body was already starting to crave again.

  I looked down at him as I hovered above the part of him that I was about to slide down onto. I felt him hold his breath in anticipation. He had thoroughly rocked my world and now it was my turn. I was about to show him the sexual prowess that I had always bragged on. And I had every reason to brag—I was good.

  “You had no reason to be nervous, Eric. You. Were. Wonderful,” I finished as I lowered myself down onto him.

  He plunged deep into me to the hilt and I was riding him into ecstasy. The last thing I thought before passion blinded me and my body took over was At least I can make it worth it.

  Eric’s moans of pleasure filled my ears and blocked everything else out.

  I made it to work just in time, not because I woke up late because for the first time in a while I was actually up on time. I had even showered, and with that, my opinion of sex in the shower was changed. It wasn’t slippery and dangerous with a guy like Eric. He was strong and passionate. I smiled at the thought of the feel of his hands gripping my thighs as his tongue lavished me. It was an intoxicating feeling, his tongue and the running water. I sighed as if we were still in that shower.

  I opened the lounge door and the bells jingled my arrival. A few heads turned in my direction, but none paid me much attention, except for Devon. His eyebrow rose in my direction. He knew. Was it the huge, dopey grin on my face that gave me away? I grinned wider. I just couldn’t help it.

  I walked behind the counter, grabbing my apron from the hook as I passed. Devon was still staring as I tied the apron around my waist. The strings hugged my hips tight and I smiled at the memory of Eric’s arms around me last night. He had held me so tightly as we slept. I laid beside him listening to his deep and rhythmic breathing. I felt the rise and fall of his chest. After he fell asleep, I prayed. I prayed for forgiveness in what I had done to this man that I was supposed to love. I wanted to cry, but I feared that he would know it and wake up and I would have to explain the tears. I didn’t want to lie to him, so telling him that they were happy tears would have been out. I remembered the last thought that floated through my head before I fell asleep inside Eric’s embrace: I have never loved a man more.

  Somewhere deep down, I knew that I should feel like I was betraying Dante, but I didn’t. I was a child when Dante and I had been lovers in love. I owed so many things to what we shared. He had helped me become the woman that I was today. That is exactly what I am, a woman. I was no longer that little girl, and the love I was sharing with Eric was the love between a woman and a man. And it was good.

  The door jingled and I walked over to the counter to help the tall man. He had to be at least 6 foot 4. He had the blondest hair I have ever seen. Not that pale, washed out, almost ashen blond. It was golden. I almost had to squint my eyes to look at him. His hazel eyes were bright and fixed on mine.

  “H-how . . .” I stopped so I could pull myself together. “How can I help you, sir?”

  His eyes were transfixed on me. It was off putting. He was an angel. Had to be. Was I being paranoid?

  “What do you recommend, Mayne?” He spoke as if we had been friends for years. His voice was as smooth as rich chocolate.

  That doesn’t make him an angel, I scolded myself. I almost laughed. Wait.

  “How do you know my name?” I asked. Something about him. He looked familiar.

  He grinned and nodded toward my apron.

  I giggled. How dumb could I be, like the guy just mysteriously knew my name? We did wear nametags. “Oh, duh. Sorry for being weird.”

  “Long day?” he asked with concern.

  He seemed genuine enough, even if he were an angel, which I am not sure he was, he definitely wasn’t one of Valience’s friends from the Swarm to destroy me.

  “Try a long few weeks,” I responded as he nodded. Why was I rambling to him? “I would recommend the white chocolate mocha. It’s kind of my signature drink.”

  He made a face. “No offense, but I think I will just stick to coffee. Plain.”

  I grinned. My favorite type of customer. I filled up his large coffee and handed it over to him. He handed me a twenty-dollar bill.

  “Keep the change. Hope your day gets better.” And he walked out the door and was gone.

  I was still looking at the twenty in my hand that the man used to pay for a two-dollar cup of coffee with when Devon returned from cleaning the tables, bent down by where we kept the aprons, and picked something up that was lying on the ground.

  “This must have fallen off when you were putting your apron on.” Devon handed me a business-card-sized piece of plastic.

  I looked toward the door automatically after seeing what it was. Shit, so I wasn’t wearing it all this time. That means—? How did he know—? Holy hell! Who was that?

  Chapter 14

  I called Eric on my break.

  “Hey, love, are you going to make it here for lunch?” he asked.

  I grinned at the thought of Eric in my apartment. “No, I’d never make it there and back in time.”

  “Want me to come up there? I can make it in time. Is Devon covering your lunch so the office is clear?”

  I didn’t answer. I created a monster. A sex monster.

  Eric continued, “What? You are the one who said the wall last night. I only wanted the bed for the first time. From now on any surface is fair game.”

  I grinned. “Is that so?”

  “It is.”

  “Then get up here, I have something to talk to you about anyway.”

  “Before or after?”

  I shook my head and laughed. “After, Eric.”

  The door jingled, and I looked up to see Eric strolling in through the door. I stood up and met him halfway. He bent his neck down and kissed me softly on the lips. I didn’t even care to check to see if any co-workers were looking. Eric’s hand found its way to my hip and rested comfortably there. I beamed lovingly at him as he lifted his kiss from me, his eyes smoldering as they bored into mine.

  My body was on fire. Desire for him coursed through me, and I knew Eric knew it. On the table, on the floor, counter, hell, I didn’t care. My mind just screamed, now, now, now! I was now the sex monster. I wanted to make a beeline for Devon’s office, but would that be too obvious? I was sure it would be, even though customers could feel our desire.

  Eric nudged me back toward the table I had vacated when he had walked in.

  “Let’s go sit down.” He spoke softly so that no one who was trying to listen could overhear him because, as I’d suspected, the people around us were looking. We sat, I slid my coffee over to him, and he slid it back, shaking his head. Now I noticed his eyes were an amber color.

  “Eric!” I said sharply, but still in a very hushed voice. “Do you have to go?”

  He was sitting very still. “No. I am fine.”

  “But your eyes? You can’t ignore it, not even for me. I don’t want— Oh god, last night. How were you able to spend the entire night with me without being called away?” I was feeling the panic rise up inside me. It was heavy on my stomach like the feeling you get right before you throw up. His hand reached out and grabbed mine, offering comfort.

  “Calm down.” His eyes were back to being the pool of clear honey I was used to seeing on him. “I have it covered. No soul will be lost. I still feel the pull when it’s time for a soul to be called. I did not want
to be disturbed last night so I had to call in a few favors from some old friends who are . . .” Eric trailed off to think of the right word and then continued. “Invested.”

  “Invested in what?” I asked.

  Eric didn’t answer. He was too busy looking around.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I thought I felt . . .” He continued to scan the area. “Someone. I must have been mistaken. So how are we getting to this office of Devon’s? If we don’t go soon, these customers are going to get more than they paid for when they bought their caffeine this morning because I am about to have you on this table.”

  I headed back around the counter to the back as Eric walked out through the front door. But as I turned from closing the door to the office, Eric was already standing behind me. He put his hand on my waist and kept me from turning as his lips caressed the back of my neck. His other hand found one of my free hands and propped it on the wall so I could hold myself a little bit away from it. The hand on my waist wound around to the front of my jeans and undid them. He slid his hand down the front into the panties. He discovered the pool of wetness that was already there as his fingers slid against me and into me. His low growl pushed my arousal further and I moaned.

  “Eric.”

  He growled louder as I felt him undoing his pants behind me and he had me. He had me up against the wall, on Devon’s desk, on the chair. Let’s just say on every surface that I could be had on . . . I was had.

  “You have no idea how much I love you, how long I have waited to feel like this. When all my peers were—” He brought my hand to his lips as if to kiss it but he stopped and moved it to his nose and inhaled deeply.

  “Mayne.” His voice was heavy and hoarse. “What did you want to tell me? Did anyone come to see you?”