Fallen (19 page)

She was goddamned perfect.

I cupped her other breast as my mouth reverently kissed the one before me. She felt soft and giving as I kneaded her. I took her nipple into my mouth, gently sucking, as she groaned and trembled beneath me. 

“Gabriel…
please
…”

I shifted myself, moving up her as my hand lowered to the juncture of her thighs. “I’ll make it better.” My head dipped to the hollow of her throat as I kissed her. 

Hot, slick flesh met my fingers, and my eyes slid closed when I felt how completely bare she was. I parted her lips, swollen with need, as her thighs started quivering. 

“Are you okay?” I asked, lifting my head to look at her.

Biting her lip, she nodded. “Don’t stop.”

I slipped my fingers inside her, her hair muffling the curse that left my lips. She was tight. I’d give my left nut to feel her squeezing my cock with this.

My fingers curled slightly, finding the sweet spot on her front wall. Her mating hormones made it extra sensitive, and I brushed against it with every slow thrust. Her hips bucked in response and it only took a few strokes before she called out, clutching my shoulders as her walls clamped around my fingers, gripping me with the force of her orgasm.

My free hand fisted the sheet as I ground my teeth together, my cock throbbing with need. Her hold on me relaxed, and I lifted my head, seeing she’d already drifted to sleep. I pulled out of her and lowered her shirt, then rolled off her, nudging her legs together. But I still caught a glimpse of her sex, her lips glistening with her release. 

I covered her with the sheet and lay next to her. Her deep, even breaths filled the silence. She wouldn’t wake up for a while. 

I pulled my boxers down, freeing my erection. Gripping my shaft, I stroked myself. My fingers were still a little wet from Em’s juices, allowing my fist to glide up and down my cock with ease. Her scent was all I could smell. It was divine. And the way her pussy clamped down on my fingers as she came…

I stilled, my balls tightening as my orgasm shot through me. Hot jets sprayed over my stomach, and I clenched my jaw to keep from shouting.

Emily stirred next to me, and I froze—with my cock in my hand and remnants of my release all over me. I’d look like some kind of sick perv if she woke right now.

Her breathing leveled out again, and I exhaled a slow breath. 

Fuuuck, that was close. 

Leaning over, I grabbed some tissue off the nightstand and cleaned myself, dazed by the evening’s turn of events. It amazed me how…
tender
…I was with her. Usually I was rough and domineering. But there was nothing “usual” about this situation, was there?

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sunday, July 4th

EMILY

I cracked an eyelid, feeling the warmth of the sun as it beat down on me. Fuzzy daylight chased away the remnants of my sex-fueled dreams, and I frowned. Those had been good dreams. I wasn’t ready for them to be over. 

I groaned and stretched, then stilled.  My sex was a little sore and slickness pooled between my thighs. There was no underwear to soak it up.

Jerking upright, my eyes darted around the unfamiliar room as hazy memories of last night flooded me. Those dreams weren’t dreams at all. 

I hung my head, covering my face. “Oh my god.”

Gabriel stirred next to me, his voice thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong? What’s
wrong
? Everything’s wrong!

“We— I—” My face heated as I thought about my behavior last night.  Not only did I throw myself at him, but he’d turned me down. I wasn’t sure which embarrassed me more. And to top it off, I’d practically tried to rape him.

I flung myself down and covered my face with the thick white comforter. There was no way I could look him in the face after what happened. God, the way I’d begged…

Tears stung my eyes and streamed down my temples, feeling hot against my skin.

The bed shifted as he scooted over, trying to pull back the covers.

“No! Go away,” I cried, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I tugged on the blanket and rolled onto my side, away from him. 

His body slid behind mine, cocooning me, as he wrapped his arm around my stomach. I felt his face in the crook of my neck, just under my ear. “Please talk to me.”

I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and sniffled. “There’s nothing to say.”

“At least tell me why you’re crying…  Is this about last night?”

My eyes squeezed shut as more tears escaped. “Can you just leave, please? I don’t want your pity right now.”

“My
pity
?” He sat up and jerked the covers out of my grasp. “Em, what the hell is going on? Why are you so upset?”

“Because I’m completely humiliated!” I tried to cover my head with the pillow, but he stopped me.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I know it wasn’t really you last night.”

I stared past him, refusing to meet his eyes. “That’s not— Whatever.”

I sat up, about to climb out of bed, when he grabbed my wrist. “Are you… Are you upset that I said
no
?” The incredulity in his voice made me glance at him. 

“Well, it doesn’t help.” I sighed and rubbed my tear-stained face. “I’m not mad that you said no, I’m just embarrassed by how I acted. I was
so
…” I shook my head, remembering my wanton behavior. “I mean, I would’ve taken it from
anyone
.”

Gabriel looked away, muttering, “I’m glad it was special for you, too.”

“That’s not what I—” I bit my lip and frowned, wondering how I’d gotten my foot so far in my mouth. 

I rested my head on his shoulder. “I’m glad it wasn’t just anyone.”

He bent down and kissed my hair. “Me, too.”

“Thank you, for saying no. Most guys would’ve just done it, but you were thinking clearly when I couldn’t… You’re a good guy, Gabriel.”

He snorted. “ ‘Good’ isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe me.”

I pulled back to look at him. “You took me in when I had no place else to go. If that’s not good, then I don’t know what is.”

He smiled ruefully. “I’m also a murderer, remember? How good can I truly be?”

I frowned at his reminder. I hadn’t thought of it like that, but he was right. “It’s a gray area,” I finally said. “You don’t have a choice, not if you want to live.”

“What about you? You seem to think you have a choice.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m only delaying the inevitable.”

My mind went back to my last night with Thomas, when I blacked out and lost control. Maybe that’s what was waiting for me down the road. I just didn’t know. And I wasn’t about to find out sitting in this bed.

“C’mon, let’s go do something.” I pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed.

Gabriel grinned, getting a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We don’t have to get out of bed to do something.”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “I meant something touristy.” 

“
Fine
,” he said, huffing out an exaggerated breath as he gave me a mock scowl. He got up and walked over to me, stopping to kiss the tip of my nose. I watched him walk away, towards the bathroom, his flawless body on display in a pair of black boxer briefs and nothing else. Over his shoulder, he said, “You know, you were so much more fun last night.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

GABRIEL

My phone skittered on the desk next to my laptop. I picked it up, freezing when I saw Michael’s number across my screen. 

Shit.

Closing my laptop, I hit “answer” as I leaned back in my chair. “Michael, what’s up?”

“I need you on the first flight out of there, Gabriel. There’s been an incident.”

Play it cool.
“Oh? What kind of incident?”

“Healers have declared war on us.”

“That’s a pretty big incident.”

He ignored my smartass comment, like he usually did, and said, “We need to hold a conference, and come up with a plan of attack. Can you meet me at the compound outside London this week?”

He needed me to be in London? How convenient for him. I was already there.

I stood and walked around my desk, lowering my voice as I closed the door to my office. “What about Emily?”

“Has she matured yet?”

My jaw clenched. “You know I would’ve told you if she had.”

“Then leave her for the time being. We’ve got bigger things to worry about. When can you be here?”

Sooner than you think.

Emily knocked on my door right as I hung up with Michael. “Yeah?”

The door opened and she leaned against the frame. “I’m going to the store, do you need anything?”

The movement stirred the air, sending her metallic-laced scent my way. My nostrils flared, and I was in front of her instantly. “You’re bleeding.” My brows puckered as I looked her over, turning her this way and that. “Are you hurt?”

She laughed, but it was tense. “You know that thing that happens when you…
don’t
make a baby? Well, it happened.”

I pulled back and frowned. “Oh…
Oh
.”

Jesus Christ, I’m an idiot.

“Right. Uh…” I patted my pockets, looking anywhere but at her face. “Do you need money to buy your, uh… your feminine hygiene—”

She held up her hand, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught her wince. “I’m gonna stop you there.”

Oh, thank God. 

A soft sigh escaped me as my eyes briefly slid closed. Like all men—supernatural or not—girls and their periods squicked me out.

“I’ve got money, so I’ll just” —she hitched her thumb behind her, keeping her eyes on my chest— “I’ll be back, okay?”

I nodded, then said, “Oh, hey, wait.”

She turned around, pausing just outside the door. “Yeah?”

“Michael called me back to London in light of the attack.”

She frowned. “Who’s Michael?”

“He’s...sort of my boss.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened as she leaned against the door. “What does this mean?”

“There’s going to be a conference to discuss our next move, but as far as you go…” I shrugged. “He told me to leave you. Said we had bigger things to worry about.”

Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth as she worried it. “Are you gonna send me away?”

“No, of course not.” Why would she even ask that? “As far as I can tell, they’re going to base their operations here, in London, since Paris is compromised. I’ll probably be gone most of the night helping out, but during the day I’ll be right here with you.”

She nodded, seemingly placated. “Okay.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Saturday, July 10th

GABRIEL

“Am I boring you, Gabriel?”

I looked up across the massive conference desk, meeting Michael’s disapproving stare. Ignoring the rows of eyes landing on me, I stifled my glare and said, “Of course not.”

He calmly set the folder in his hands on the gleaming mahogany. “Then why do you keep checking your watch?”

I glanced at the fifty Feeders lining the table, sitting in identical leather office chairs. Only a few of them looked as bored as I felt. The rest were amped up by the prospect of war, their eyes glinting with every mention of “raid” and “dismember.” 

Sighing, I pushed aside the dossier in front of me. “We’ve been at this for hours. When are we going to call it a day?”

Michael tilted his head to the side and stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry, do you have somewhere more important to be?”

I’d had it with his bullshit. This wasn’t work and he wasn’t my boss. I was here as a delegate of our race, not as some goddamn lackey.

I held his gaze as I said, “I have someplace else I’d rather be, yes.” Emily was waiting for me at home, and I’d damn sure rather be with her than with these pompous assholes.

“Oh, really?” The corners of his lips lifted in a cruel smirk. “Would this ‘place’ happen to be between the thighs of some human woman?”

Laughter erupted all around me. 

I pushed my chair out and stood, buttoning my suit jacket as my cool gaze remained on Michael. I’d make him eat his words, if it was the last thing I did.

A key sliding into the lock had me tearing my eyes away from the engrossing TV show I’d been watching for the past twenty minutes. Who knew botched celebrity plastic surgery could be so fascinating? 

I smiled as Gabriel walked in. “Hey, how’d it go?” I leaned forward, picking up the remote off the coffee table to pause the show.

“About how you’d expect.” He looked weary as he shut the door behind him. Sliding his jacket off, he walked toward me. The blazer landed on the couch’s arm rest as he plopped down next to me, loosening his tie.

My lips pursed. “I have no idea what to expect from your super secret Justice League meeting,” I mumbled, giving him a pointed look as I stuck my tongue out.

He rested his head against the back of the couch and grinned. “They have no freaking clue how they’re going to handle this.” He shook his head, getting a faraway look. “That’s one advantage Healers have over us—Isaac and his goddamn minions. They’re more organized than we’ll ever hope to be.”