“Uh—yeah, I don’t think…” I begin, squeezing my way out from under his arm. “I think you should go find your own little corner of nowhere like you were supposed to do.”
“Why? Not ready for a threesome?” he chuckles, winking and blowing me a kiss. “Don’t worry, I’d be gentle.”
My mouth pops open, and a squeal of surprise escapes my lips. Instantly, my face flushes. I’ve never been with one man, let alone two. The idea of it, regardless of how flippant, sends a traitorous electricity shooting through my abdomen.
The incubus edges nearer, a cocky, lopsided grin sliding across his lips. His turquoise eyes flash mischievously as he bends in closer. “Did that get you in the feels? I bet it did, didn’t it?”
Blinking back in surprise, I shake my head. “Of course not, you lunatic. The only thing I want from you is to see you gone.”
His shoulders shrink back slightly. “Pity. I never got to finish and I’m totally jonesing for a continuation.”
“Annnyway,” Liam says, scratching at the top of his head. His cheeks flame brightly. “I think you should do what the lady asks and move on out. We’re really perfectly happy here on our own.”
“I bet you are,” Jake sniggers, pulling his shoulders back. “Must be nice to be banished with your source of utter infatuation who’s so ready to bone you. I, on the other hand, am stuck with the two wankers who pulled me from a good time. Doesn’t nearly have the same ring to it. And no offense, but I’m as mortal as the two of you now. I don’t have my powers to lean back on and I sure as hell ain’t gonna go far away from the one entity in the vicinity who knows how to fight.”
“I don’t have any—” Liam begins.
“Not you, dufus. Her,” Jake says, flicking his pointer finger in my direction and shooting Liam a look of indignance.
Liam’s eyebrows flick up and he drops his gaze to the ground, shaking his head. “Oh, yeah—right.”
“You can’t stay here,” I say, jutting my chin out. “Don’t make me chase you off again.”
“Seriously, Guardian. Where am I meant to go?” Jake says, splaying his hands out.
“I quite honestly don’t care, demon,” I say, blinking slowly.
“Harsh, man. Real harsh,” he says, shaking his head. “I thought you were supposed to be the protector or some shit.”
“Not of demons,” I say, scrunching my face. “What have you been smoking?”
“Oh, it was some really good—”
“It was a rhetorical question,” I say, covering my face.
Liam chuckles beside me and I shoot him a quick glance. His eyes sparkle with a level of excitement and happiness I haven’t seen in years, and I can’t help but soften at the sight.
“Look, how about this. I’ll just go over there and hang out. You know, far enough away to give you some, er, privacy and whatnot. But close enough if you hear me scream, you can come running,” Jake says, raising his arms and doing jazz hands. “I mean, it’s not like I had any special talents for killing creatures and I highly doubt a good shag would alter their course of action, if you know what I mean.”
“How about, if I hear you scream, demon, I’ll just smile internally because I won’t have to kill you myself,” I say, tipping my head to the side and smiling sweetly.
Jake lowers his eyebrows.
“Okay, you heard the lady. I think it’s time for you to be on your merry way,” Liam says, grabbing hold of Jake’s arm and ushering him away from where we all stand.
Jake puts his heels down like a petulant child. “Come on guys. I won’t be within peeping Tom distance, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Just pick a direction and keep walking,” Liam says, pushing him past the small fire pit and pointing into the trees.
“Can I at least have a little—” Jake begins, reaching out for the charred remains of whatever Liam had been cooking.
“Go—” we both yell in unison.
“All right, all right. Geez, you don’t have to be so rude about it,” Jake says, frowning. “Some way to treat the guy who tried to—” He stumbles away, tripping over a rock as he heads off through the dense brush until I can no longer make out his stylish jeans and button-down shirt.
Liam finally turns back to me and raises an eyebrow. “Well, all right. That was…”
“Irritating?” I finish. “Unexpected?”
“Definitely,” he says, nodding. “This whole being dead thing… it’s actually much more eye-opening than being alive ever was.”
I laugh softly, my eyebrows flicking up in acknowledgement. “I can imagine. It’s not until veils are lifted that we can see the bigger picture as it exists. Even I wasn’t at the pay grade to see it all.” I return to my recently vacated seat on the grass and sit back down. Liam’s face softens, and a semi-grin graces his lips.
Without another word, he casts a last glance over his shoulder and walks back to me. Resuming his seat, he sits cross-legged facing me and places his hands in his lap.
“So…” he says.
“So,” I nod.
For a moment, the two of us sit at an impasse, staring at each other and waiting to see if the other will make a move. Liam’s tongue skates between his lips and for a moment, I’m mesmerized by the movement. I reach a hand out and run my fingertips over them.
“Do you remember when you were twelve and you got into a fight with the kid down the block?” I ask, noticing the hint of a scar on his upper lip.
His eyebrows flick upward and he nods. “Yeah, I do. He was a jackass and punched me in the lip.”
I grin. “That was the dumbest move he could have done, too.”
“Right? It was basically permission for me to break his nose,” he laughs.
“Which you did, as I recall,” I say, throwing him a knowing look.
“Indeed I did,” he says, tipping his head happily.
“I was rooting for you then. And I may have whispered in your ear that day,” I say.
“You did? Were you trying to stop me?” he asks, his eyes wide.
“Hell no. I told you to punch him back,” I laugh. “He was a jerk and needed to be taught a lesson.”
Liam chuckles, grabbing hold of my outstretched hand and placing it between his hands in his lap.
“Isn’t it strange how you can still have a scar you received on a different plane of existence?” I say, thinking.
“Not really,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean, I’m dead and this—whatever this body is—none of it is the real physical me. Not really. I assume that body is going through a state of decomposition at this point.”
I shudder at the thought.
Liam watches me closely, but my attention is drawn to the place where his thumb rubs at the top of my hand.
“You’re at an unfair advantage though, you know,” he finally says.
I raise an eyebrow. “How so?”
“You know all about me—the good, the bad, the definitely ugly. Which still amazes me… But I don’t really know much about you.”
“There really isn’t a whole lot to tell,” I say, shrugging.
“Oh, I bet that’s not true,” he says, lowering his eyebrows.
I laugh. “No, really. I’ve been a Guardian my whole existence—at least I’m pretty sure,” I say.
“And how long is that?”
I narrow my eyes, trying to think of how to put it into a linear timeframe he’d understand.
“I have had four thousand twelve charges in my time as a Guardian, but I’m not that old. Sometimes we have more than one charge at a time,” I say.
“Wow. Still, that’s…” His eyebrows edge into his hairline. “How many charges do you typically have at the same time?”
“It depends on the gravity of their life’s mission. When they’re simply here to level up, for lack of a better word, then I could have up to three. But when their purpose has moved beyond simple life experience, and instead has a critical role in creation, then there is typically jus
t the one.”
“And how many did you have—”
“Just one,” I say, beating him to the punch.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. And I failed pretty miserably,” I say, pulling my eyebrows in.
“So, does that mean I had a bigger purpose? I mean, more than most?”
“Yeah,” I nod.
“What was I meant to do?” he asks, his thumb still circling around the space between my thumb and index finger. “I mean, would it hurt to tell me now?”
My insides flutter with excitement, and I suddenly wish I could feel his touch on more than just my hand. I’ve spent my entire existence separate from reality. I’ve never taken a partner. Never felt the touch of someone who makes me feel even remotely the way Liam does.
“You were… uh…” I begin, trying to push past the sensory overload and put my answer into words. “I don’t remember.”
Liam chuckles. “You don’t remember? Or you can’t tell me?”
“Well, maybe a bit of both?” I say, tilting my head to the side and narrowing my eyes.
“Hmmm. Sounds a bit sketchy to me.”
The truth is, for the life of me, I can’t remember the logistics of what he was meant to do. I just remember it was deeply important. But I suppose at this juncture, it doesn’t really matter anymore. The universe will probably find someone else to fill his shoes.
“I’m not really…” I say, biting my lip. “For some reason, I can’t really remember. But it’s hard to think with you touching me like that.”
He looks down at the place where our hands connect. “Really? I’m just holding your hand.”
“I know. But I’ve never experienced it before. Not like this.”
His eyes widen and his mouth opens slightly. “Oh, right. I keep forgetting you weren’t human. Your laws of physics must have been so different than mine.”
“You have no idea,” I whisper.
“Tell, me—are angels not allowed to touch each other? Didn’t you have someone…” he asks, his question lingering between us.
“No one,” I answer sharply, shaking my head.
“But why?” he says, his thumb continuing to caress the top of my hand and making it impossible to think clearly.
I shrug, “It’s not that partnering wasn’t allowed. But it’s different as angels. It’s more about amplifying powers and strengths. Less about the connection or… attraction.”
My heart skips beats and I look up into his serious, sexy eyes.
“That sounds like a sad sort of existence,” he says, placing his other hand alongside my cheek.
“It could be,” I concede, leaning into his heavenly touch.
“So, this… you’ve never felt someone else’s hands on you?” he asks, carefully treading the waters of personal questions.
My lips purse, and I shake my head.
“How does it feel now? Is this okay?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.
I exhale and smile. “It feels incredible.”
His lips slide into a huge grin and the creases on the sides of his eyes deepen.
“Oh, good,” he says. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all. If you only knew how many times I’ve daydreamed—” I say, cutting myself short and covering my lips with my fingertips.
Liam’s lips twitch. “You’ve daydreamed about my touch?”
“Well, I mean—I…”
His grin is infectious and I can’t help but roll my eyes despite my flaming cheeks.
“You’re beautiful when you’re embarrassed. I mean, look at those cheeks,” he says, brushing my right cheek again with his fingertips. “It certainly brings out the blue in your eyes. And I have to say, it’s pretty flattering, Eva. I mean, how many other men can say their Guardian Angel has been infatuated with them?”
I tilt my head to the side, “I don’t know if I’d go that far…”
Again, he raises an eyebrow and I sigh in defeat.
“Okay, maybe it was that far,” I say, scrunching my nose.
His eyes sparkle with mischief and for a moment, it’s like all of time and space stands still.
Taking a deep breath, again his tongue darts across his lips, drawing my eyes to their shape. It sends shots of electricity through my body and suddenly, more than anything I want to know what kissing him would be like. What it would feel like.
Without another word, as if reading my mind, he slides his right hand firmly behind my neck and pulls me into him. I suck in a breath, waiting for the inevitable—both fearing and longing for it.
Chapter 11
What it Feels Like to Be Alive
His earthy scent of moss and pine needles greets me first, invading my senses and, like a beacon, guiding me closer. My insides constrict and my heartbeat thrums loudly in my ears; daring me to pay attention to anything but the fear and excitement welling inside me.
At first, his lips gently brush mine, sparking at the place where our skin touches. I lean into it, not wanting to miss a single detail. I focus on every ounce of pressure, every microcosm of energy as it explodes on impact, both across my skin and inside me. His hand remains firm and strong behind my head, urging me to give in as much as I dare. His nose presses softly against my cheek, while his teeth tug at my lower lip, testing me to see how I respond.
When I lean forward, placing my hands on either side of his face and pressing in harder, his tongue flicks the edges of my lips, making every nerve ending in my body vibrate. He tastes like oranges smell and it makes me wonder how it’s even possible.
Yet, if this is what it feels like to be alive—I’ve never been so happy to be shunned from Heaven and Earth and sent to Purgatory. I would do everything—all of it—over again.
As my back arches in response, a deep, throaty growl erupts from Liam’s chest and he prowls forward, dropping me onto my back in the grass. Of their own accord, my arms move lower, sliding just beneath his arms and groping at his strong shoulders as he lowers himself against me.
His lips break from mine, instead finding a home at the nape of my neck. My breath hitches and I find myself raising my hips slightly in rhythm to his lower body’s movements. There’s literally nothing I’ve ever wanted more than I want Liam. All of him.
“Eva,” he moans against my skin.
With my eyes closed, I smile contently. I’ve prayed to hear my name on his lips, and more than just as a word. I’ve prayed to hear them as a prelude to this. To what I hope this might be.
Liam suddenly props himself up on both hands, his breath unsteady and jagged as he stares down at me with dreamy eyes.
“Eva, you—” he begins, “you’re so beautiful and so…”
I search his face, wishing I could read his mind and still hear his thoughts or sense his feelings. Instead, I have to study his body and face to find my answers.
“Liam, is everything—?” I ask, my question lingering between us.
He grins, shaking his head ever so slightly.
“I feel like I’ve somehow cheated death. Or cheated fate. How can I possibly be this happy when I’m not even alive?” he asks, brushing a strand of hair from my forehead. “Shouldn’t death be… I don’t know? The end of things? Not the beginning?”
I rub my hands over his shoulders. The strong muscles on his back cover the place where an angel’s energetic wings would be. Where mine would have been, had I not been stripped of them. While not seen by the naked eye, they’re necessary to move between realms.
“I’ve been thinking something very similar,” I say, bending up to leave one last, soft kiss on his lips.
Liam’s eyebrows tug in slightly and he sighs. “I hope I haven’t been too forward with you. It’s just… I don’t know. There’s such a strong connection with you, Eva. It’s like, even if I wanted to take my time with you, there’s this sense of urgency. Like I need to act now, or everything will slip away. I guess being dead can do that to a person.” He chuckles and lowers himself down
just to my left. The warmth of his body radiates into my hip and the sensation of his own sexual excitement isn’t lost on me. It sends a shiver radiating through me, and my eyes flit to the last place we saw the demon—because if this continues, I don’t want an audience. Especially not him.
Returning my gaze to Liam, I run my fingertip along his left eyebrow and smile. “You know, I have waited for this moment for what seems like forever. Even before you ever existed.”
“How could you want this if I didn’t exist?” he asks, playfully running his hand along my clavicle.
“I knew I wanted love. I wanted what humanity had—a special connection. But it wasn’t until you were in existence, that I realized I could actually feel something like love. This kind of love.”
“So, you had the hots for me when I was a kid?” he laughs.
I roll my eyes and grin. “No—it wasn’t like that. I knew you were special then. I knew I had to protect you, guide you to the best of my ability. But, never in a million years did I realize this is what would become of it. As you aged, the connection I had to you just grew into something I couldn’t control. It was unexpected and scary…”
“Scary?” he asks, his brows knitting together.
“Yes. It’s against our law, Liam. And yet, I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t change how I felt, and I knew it could lead me to—well, here. Now that I have the opportunity to express my love, I don’t want to waste a second of it, either,” I whisper. “That is, if you’ll have me.”
Liam’s eyes sparkle and he leans over, propping his head on his right hand. With his left, he traces the contours of my face. “Then we’re in agreement. We’re in this together and we’ll move forward wherever it leads us.”
I swallow hard, getting flashes of our naked bodies intertwining, skin on skin. My face flushes, but I ignore it. “Absolute agreement,” I concede.
“Good,” he says, grinning. “I have something I want to show you.” He pushes himself up to his knees, then stands. Extending his hand out to help me up, he flicks the tips of his fingertips and quirks a smile.
The Chronicles of the 8th Dimension - Limited Edition Box Set (4 Books): A Supernatural Thriller Box Set Page 58
