Heaven

by Belinda McBride

  His tail was still there, right where he wanted another part of his anatomy to reside. It was slick and wet and warm, and without thinking, he allowed it to slide free, dragging lubrication back between her ass cheeks. As though knowing what he wanted, she tilted her hips, allowing him to tease her hole. When he penetrated her, her eyes went dark, and her full lips parted on a moan.

  “Do you like this?” He thrust, pushing in gently, dragging out slowly. Her eyes were unfocused and she nodded.

  “I’ve heard this hurts to start, but I crave it.”

  “It’s probably because you’re a succubus.” Rex kissed her gently.

  Rion lay on his side, gently skimming his hand over her body from chest to breast to waist. They lay quietly, patiently, waiting for Noemi’s arousal to rise again, to burn bright and ready.

  Inevitably, the thrusting tail in her ass began to make her shake and moan in mindless arousal. Rex drew his tail from her body and replaced it with an oiled finger, quickly followed by another. Rex decided Anahita took delight in kinky sex. Her body responded to it all—pain, double penetration and dirty talk. He sighed happily.

  The scent of lavender filled the air and Noemi opened her eyes, watching as Rion spilled oil from a blue bottle, letting the fluid drizzle over his cock. He rubbed, making his palms slick and greasy, and he reached out to Rex, slicking up his cock as well. Rex let his head loll backward, soaking up every touch, smell and sensation.

  He was home and he’d never be alone again.

  * * * *

  They were both going to penetrate her—at the same time.

  Anahita very nearly swooned in anticipation. Noemi’s nerves caused her to swallow a lump in her throat. In this case, she’d allow the succubus to lead. With a sigh, she gave herself over to the darker side of herself.

  “Up on your knees, Noemi.”

  She grabbed onto Rion’s powerful arm to help her upright, and for a moment the men stared at each other wordlessly. She waited, wondering what was running through their minds. She wondered if she’d ever find a place in that synchronicity.

  “She’s not fertile.” Rex ran his oil-slick hands up her waist, cupping a breast.

  “But she will be after we do this, won’t she?”

  Rex nodded at Rion’s question.

  After that they shifted, Rex to her front, Rion to her rear. The Sidhe lowered himself to the mattress, taking her in his arms. “Take me, Noemi. Fuck me.”

  She looked at him for a long moment, and clarity came to her in a rush. She blinked and turned to look at Rion, who was looking from her to Rex. For a second her gut went tight and warmth flooded her heart.

  Gently, Noemi stroked the ghillie dubh’s cheek. “Rex, I’m your mate.”

  Rion’s arms tightened around her body. She turned to glance up at him. “Rion, I’m your wife for time and eternity. Our marriage outlasted our prior lives. And, Rex, you and I are fated by Nature herself to be together, as are the two of you.” She reached up and stroked Rex’s cheek. “If Rex had been another type of Sidhe, you two would have been fine without me. But as a ghillie dubh, you need a mate to give you children. Otherwise, you must continue as you did in the past, before you met Rion.”

  Rex’s hazel eyes went dark with emotion. “When we do this, Noemi, there’s no going back. Like your tie to Orion, this will be forever.”

  He clasped her hands. “This last moon cycle, when I couldn’t connect with you, I nearly went mad. Poor Rion suffered the brunt of my need. I never want that to happen again.” His dark eyes were sad and tormented. She stroked his smooth cheek. She then remembered the glimpse she’d had of the middle-aged Rex in Edinburgh. He’d had silver-streaked hair and grizzled cheeks. In California, he’d appeared as a mature man, neither young nor old. Now he glowed with an ethereal beauty.

  “My succubus was starving, Rex. Anahita has become very faithful to the two of you. She—” Noemi swallowed hard. It was a moment for truth. “I could never find anyone to feed from. It always felt wrong. It had to be the two of you.”

  She leaned forward, drawing Rion with her. When they kissed, it was electric.

  “Noemi, how did you find us? This croft?” Rion’s hands cupped her breasts, distracting her just a bit. She shivered at his touch.

  “The amulet I left behind. I knew if one of you wore it, it would draw me to you. Brita found me in the cave and sent me through a portal. I stepped out into Edinburgh.”

  “And you walked all the way here?” Rex’s fingers trailed over the skin of her cheek, shaping the planes of her face.

  “No, I found money on the street, then took a train most of the way. After that I walked for hours. And there you were, Rex, sitting on top of the barn.”

  Rion’s laughter echoed through her body. His cock was long and hot against her back. Rex’s cock was thick and hard against her belly. Without another word, she rose, clasping Rex’s shaft, and notched it to her entrance. Never looking away from his beautiful face, she lowered onto him, feeling his thick flesh delve into her body.

  She went slowly, drawing it out, making certain they were both slicked up before offering her bottom to Rion.

  “You’ve never done this before?” His voice was barely audible.

  “No. Never.” But it didn’t frighten her at all. When he stretched her with lubricated fingers, she lay forward, resting her head on Rex’s strong chest. His tail wandered from her body to Rion’s, and she felt the angel tense behind her. Rex’s grin was very naughty.

  “Rex, I’m close enough to the edge…” She heard a sharp crack and knew Rion had just been spanked.

  “Later then.”

  “Yes… Later…”

  Noemi couldn’t help laughing. She stopped when something very thick and blunt took the place of the angel’s fingers.

  “Emi, as he pushes in, you push him out. Don’t freeze up, just do your best to relax.”

  She drew a breath and followed Rex’s instructions, focusing on the sheer wonder of being whole and free and with the two men who meant the most to her in all the worlds and lives she’d spanned.

  There was pain and there was burn, but she continued to breathe steadily and gazed into Rex’s eyes. His quirky grin faded and in its place his expression became intense.

  “I feel him. When he fucks you, he’s fucking me too.”

  Fluid welled up in her channel and the arousal that had flirted on the edges of her consciousness slammed down on her body like a vise. Behind her, Rion thrust gently. She turned and his face was flushed, the cords in his neck stood out. He released a harsh breath.

  He pushed in, his length pressing Rex even deeper, tighter. Rex reached around and clasped her cheeks, holding her open for Rion. With every thrust, every tug on her body, Noemi became further lost to sensation. Rex lay perfectly still, trapped under the weight of their joined bodies. If he’d moved even just a little, she’d have flown off into the blinding grip of orgasm. His stillness allowed her to hang on, to fully experience what they were offering her.

  It was slow and sensual. Bodies were stroked, loving words exchanged. Rion’s hair tumbled like silk over her back, and her own hair spilled over Rex’s chest, down to the mattress. She sighed, feeling so alive, so whole for the first time in her life.

  Rex was the first to break the long, languorous climb. With every stroke of Rion’s cock against his he gasped, his eyes going distant and dreamy. She felt the movement of his tail, and when Rion cursed softly, she knew Rex was teasing Rion with that extremely clever appendage. The Sidhe’s hips began to rock against hers, stimulating her clit, setting her body on fire. As they moved, Rion was caught up in the heat of their excitement.

  They rocked and writhed, and their soft moans became intense. Hands clasped, sweat slicked taut bodies and flesh slapped together noisily. She was trapped between them, pinned and unable to move, so they moved for her. Noemi whimpered in frustrated bliss, her orgasm at the fringes of her vision like an aura.

  Rion went off with wild, fr
enzied thrusting, forcing Rex’s cock against her G-spot. Even as she felt him spilling hot into her body, she was going, her channel squeezing, clasping, bringing Rex along with them. He cried out, his face a study in intensity that was so concentrated it looked like pain. Though her climax was rippingly intense, Noemi didn’t crash, and she didn’t blank out or fall into the depths of herself. She soared hand in hand with Rex and Rion, feeling every heartbeat, every breath they took. She felt Rion’s trembling hands and saw bewildered happiness in Rex’s eyes.

  There were still so many stories to share, so many questions to be answered. But right now, she was exactly where she belonged, surrounded by the two men she loved. At this moment in her very long life, Noemi knew she’d found the happiness Brita had foretold.

  Chapter Seven

  Rex rolled out of bed before dawn. He restarted the fire and put oats on for porridge. Once his domestic duties were out of the way, he stood for a moment gazing down at the couple in the bed.

  They were so perfectly matched—even in their sleep they had an otherworldly aura. Their beauty tightened his throat with emotion that was so overwhelming it was painful. Rex was used to creatures of great beauty, but when he stopped to think about these two in his life, he was teased with doubts and fears. What if they found what they needed in each other? After all, they’d now come full circle. Was there still room for him? Was he really Noemi’s mate, as she’d claimed? His need for them frightened Rex.

  Dashing away his self-pity, he turned, looking around the croft house he’d left so long ago.

  It was more spacious than he recalled. The house was low and long. Once upon a time, the family who’d built the place had probably brought their animals in at night and built their cooking fire in the center of the house. The pungent peat smoke must had filtered through the thatched roof to escape to the sky. Once upon a time, a family had lived here and eventually fled, perhaps victims of the Clearances or plague or starvation. Perhaps they’d left to find a better life elsewhere. Whatever the case, Rex now called this gentle place his home.

  When he’d found the little house abandoned, he’d plastered the walls and rethatched the roof. Instead of dirt or rushes on the floor, he’d set stone and covered it with thick floor coverings. He’d installed a fireplace with a chimney, not being partial to living in a so-called ‘black house’. He could still smell the long-ago scent of burnt peat in the air, and the smoke-stained rafters were visible.

  They’d need more space, and he would not alter the ancient cottage again. They could build on behind the house, and most definitely add plumbing and electricity, but the old croft itself would stay intact. Countless people had lived, loved and died in the croft, and it had become a sacred space. Building an addition would take work, but they had time.

  He headed outside, walking through his old routine. He’d have milked the cow and gathered eggs before feeding the other livestock. Now the barn was empty, save for the roaming orange cat. It wasn’t his old cat, but he was grateful for its company. The cat sat on a fence rail, its tail hanging in an upside down question mark.

  “Well, Tom, I see you’ve been keeping watch here.” He hadn’t seen sign of any vermin. The cat was shiny and well fed. “Good job, then.” He stroked its sleek head, smiling as the cat purred noisily.

  Rather than lingering at the almost empty barn, Rex quickly washed in the chill trough then took his natural form, catching gentle breezes that carried him up the hill to the old forest. No sooner did he enter the gentle embrace of the trees than his soul overflowed with peace and energy.

  Unlike dryads, he wasn’t confined to a single type of tree or a limited location. He could travel and be as comfortable in the redwoods as in the olive groves of Greece. But this was home, and he marveled to see how every tree had grown and changed. When he brushed a trunk with the tips of his fingers, the tree shuddered, almost in delight. The entire forest went silent, as though every creature was listening. Even the wind ceased.

  “Well now, I’ve missed you too. I don’t plan to be leaving again. And I’ve brought family. Perhaps someday there will be children.”

  He sent the thought ringing through the acres of wood and it reverberated from tree to tree until the very roof of the forest whispered the news, carrying it from bird to butterfly and from fox to squirrel. He dropped his weight and drifted up to a high branch, settling there in the embrace of his forest. As the sun began to rise, he faced the east, smiling as the warm rays of the sun touched his skin, welcoming Reux home at last.

  * * * *

  Rion stretched, and without opening his eyes, smiled at the scent and feel of Noemi curled up by his side. Earlier, when Rex had slipped away, Rion had feigned sleep, knowing the forest called to the ghillie dubh. He’d ached to follow, but Rex needed time to reconnect with his roots. Much as he loved the Sidhe, he didn’t own every piece of Rex’s heart. At one time that knowledge might have hurt, but now he understood. A person could hold many people and places in their heart. The woman sleeping next to him proved that.

  When he thought of all the years he’d kept Rex from his home, Rion’s heart ached. However, he’d long ago learned that he couldn’t change the past. He could only shape the future. Right now, the future lay sleeping in his arms.

  Oddly enough, she was also his past.

  Noemi mumbled a bit in her sleep as he shifted on the lumpy mattress. She rolled toward him, her head finding the perfect spot on his shoulder. Her black hair spilled across his chest like a silken wave.

  He gazed down at her in awe. The hint of magic he’d seen on the very first day was back in force. Now there was no mistaking her nature, though it was unique. She was an angel who’d risen from her Fall. She was a complete contradiction, light and dark, angel and demon. There was no other being on Earth like her. Rion was unable to hold back the smile hovering on his lips. He was nearly giddy with happiness.

  The fragrance of lavender still lingered on the air, and as always, that scent carried every sort of emotional connection Rion had ever experienced—love and security as well as lust and fear. How right that the medical scent of the doctor had given way to his most loved flower. In those first days with her, lavender was one of the herbs she’d given Rex when he refused human medicine. It was as though the flower linked the three of them throughout their lives on Earth. He didn’t know why there was no lavender growing outside the cottage, but he’d remedy that lack as soon as possible.

  Noemi stretched and sighed, slowly coming awake. She met his gaze and her dark eyes were soft and melting, but also keenly aware.

  “Where’s Rex?”

  “He’s off talking to the trees, I suppose. He’s been away from here for far too long.”

  She blinked. “You aren’t joking, are you? He’s really talking to the trees?”

  “And the birds and flowers, no doubt. He’s always shown an affinity with foxes. They’re drawn to him. There was a den here before we left.”

  She shifted to her side, looking at the cozy bed niche then out to the rest of the house. She seemed reluctant to rise, but curious.

  “Are you up for a tour of the place?” Rion sat up and helped her from the bed. “It’s primitive. We pump water for the kitchen and bath. With some work, we can heat it for washing.”

  “Is this where he brought you when you first Fell?”

  “Aye.” Rion felt the smile settle over his face once again. “This is my home, too. I’d forgotten how much a place can get into a person’s blood.”

  They wandered a bit, and he watched as Noemi trailed fingers over the rough-hewn furniture.

  “Indoor plumbing would be nice, but otherwise it’s warm and comfortable.” She stood before the fireplace, warming her hands in front of the flames. She was naked, and Rion looked her over hungrily. He’d known her since before his memory began, yet her body was still new and unfamiliar to him. She was tall, willowy and graceful, with an innate strength that was as much character as it was muscle. Absently, she reached up
, her fingers catching on the amulet Rex had placed over her head the evening before.

  “May I see?”

  She didn’t need an explanation. Her face went still in concentration and within a breath, she was more, as Rex would say. Her ebony hair cascaded to nestle in the dip above her bottom and a reddish-gold glow enveloped her. Most beautiful were the wings arching up and behind her body—they were deep black, the feathers tipped with gold and red.

  He cleared his throat, uncomfortably aware of his sudden arousal. Like her, Rion was naked, and as her gaze flicked to his thickened cock, she smiled impishly.

  “Now you understand the reaction Rex and I have to you.”

  “But you’re more, Noemi.” Anahita’s sexuality flowed over him like honey. “I’ve met other angels, other Fallen. I don’t recall the others being so seductive.”

  Her smile faded. “When I escaped from Michael, I did it by attacking him. Anahita—I forced orgasms on him.”

  Initially he wanted to laugh, then remembered Rex talking about how dangerous an angered succubus could be.

  “That’s a fearsome weapon, Noemi.”

  “But it only works on men. Not women. I thought maybe it was their hormones, but when Kelet was in Cynthia, it worked on him too.”

  He stepped closer and brushed a strand of hair away from her exotic face. “You have other skills to protect yourself. I know that well. This is simply a new weapon to add to your arsenal.” He remembered seeing the gleam of a knife in the dark alley in San Francisco. “Noemi, I want to hear your story. All of it.”

  Her smile dimmed slightly. “My past is not something I wish to relive, Rion. Much of my story will bring pain to both you and Rex.” He guessed Noemi’s story would bring pain to her as well. She turned from the fire to face him. “But much of my story is grand and triumphant, and I’m proud of the things I’ve done. I’m proud to have prevailed over hardship.” She smiled and walked into his arms. “I want to tell you about you—about us—the way we were before the Fall. I want to tell you and Rex about who you were and what kind of man Kokabiel had become.”