The Celestial Rose BoxSet

by Annalee Adams

  “Yes.” I said, shaking my head. “I was just thinking how lucky I am to be here with you. It’s perfect.”

  “You’re perfect.” He smiled.

  “Thank you.” I grinned, I really was very lucky.

  As we arrived at our room, two men were heading in next door. They introduced themselves as John and Joey, the cute couple who had married the week before. I congratulated them before they went inside. I smiled and gripped Lucian's hand tighter.

  “This is it,” he said as he placed the card in the lock.

  Opening the door to such extravagance was something only a multimillionaire could normally do. The room before us was more than one room, it was a whole suite with a full-length window that opened out onto our own balcony. Beside the sitting area, our queen-sized bedroom lay waiting. There was a huge en-suite with a whirlpool bath and shower enclosure.

  “Wow!”

  “Wow, indeed! I can’t wait to get you on that bed, Ms. Lane.” He said.

  I laughed. “Not just yet. I need to shower first.”

  “Ah, yes, I believe the room has everything you need. I’ll nip out and do a little light shopping while you freshen up.” He said, kissing me on the cheek. “Be good while I’m gone.”

  “Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?”

  “Never,” he said. “I love you, Taylor Lane!” he shouted at the top of his lungs as he left the room and ventured down the corridor.

  I laughed. He could always make me smile. It seemed that since I’d been back, he was more ‘himself’ with me, less barriered. He always thought of me as such a vulnerable creature before, always afraid to hurt me. That was, until I womaned up and grew. It was good to see that side of him, his humour, his love of life. Even the darkest of monsters could be loved once in a while. And Lucian, well, he certainly wasn’t a monster, not anymore, anyway. To be honest with myself, I didn't think he ever was. Lilith did well when she created him. She gave him a heart, a non-beating heart, but a heart all the same.

  Stripping off, I stood before the mirror, looking at my body. I knew nothing else. I was human, always was, always would be. I’d created humanity in my image, giving them the freedom to choose as they saw fit. Even with all the wars and chaos the world brought, there was still hope and when I looked at my body, I could see why. It resembled a purity, an innocence in nature. We are our most vulnerable when we’re naked. It was good to be vulnerable sometimes, it taught us how to be brave in the face of danger. And realistically, we were in a heap of trouble. No matter how much I loved being here, being free with Lucian, I knew that after these few weeks together, all Hell would break lose on Earth. I had a knack of causing problems wherever I went. Lilith would know where I was. She would come for me and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

  The shower helped. I felt like I’d removed all negativity and drained my problems away. It took a long shower to do that; there were quite a few problems. But when I stepped out, Lucian sat on the bed to great me, wearing what I could only describe as a black G-string with a bunch of white rose petals spread across the satin sheets and a glass of champagne in his hand.

  “Hi honey,” he said, grinning.

  “Hi yourself. What are you wearing?” I laughed.

  “What, don’t you like it?” He frowned.

  “No, quite the opposite,” I said as I dropped the towel and pounced on top of him. My ravenous nature for his athletic body frenzied through me. Penetration came easily as we grinded to ecstasy together. My mouth caressed his as I tasted him, sweated against him, and came on top of him. I didn’t care about the screams of pleasure. I didn’t mind what John or Joey thought next door. All I cared about was the moment, the definitive moment where I decided I no longer gave a fuck.

  “Damn, Taylor! I can’t get enough of you.”

  “Will they heal?” I asked, pointing at the nail marks serrating his chest.

  “Oh, you know I will.”

  “I hope I didn’t hurt you,” I said as he laughed in response.

  “You, hurt me? Shit, Taylor, I’m always worried I’d hurt you.” He laughed. “Come on, beautiful, I’ve got something for you.”

  In the sitting room, there were bags and bags of clothes. He knew every detail about me and perfectly managed to buy every correct size. My body felt like that of a queen dressed in her royal attire.

  “These are beautiful, Lucian. Thank you.” I said as I pulled on the evening gown, ready for the night time festivities. He smiled. “Shall we go and watch the sunset?” I asked, motioning to the balcony outside.

  “Yes, that would be a wonderful idea,” he said, passing me a glass of champagne. “After which, we could attend dinner. Perhaps with the normal people and attend the dance to celebrate our first night here.”

  “Perfect.” I smiled, sipping champagne.

  My stomach rumbled. The day had flown by as we’d sat talking, playing about, and relaxing together as a couple. Watching the sunset over the crisp silent sea was stunning. Tones of orange wrapped themselves within hues of burnt umber, crimson red and sunshine yellow. Contentment reached my soul as I relaxed into the chair beside Lucian, holding his hand.

  By six in the evening, we were both ready for the dinner and dance. Walking into the main restaurant, Lucian draped his arm around my waist. A waiter came over and sat us at a table with three other couples, one being our next-door neighbours.

  “Oh, look Joey, it’s the rampant rabbits.” He laughed as Joey grinned. My face flushed. Lucian shook their hands introducing us both.

  “You’ve sure got a good pair of lungs,” John said. I wanted to Earth to swallow me whole.

  “John, leave the poor girl alone. They’re young and in love.”

  “Thank you,” I said to Joey, as he smiled in response.

  “Sure, thing, sweet cheeks,” he said smiling.

  An older lady I was sat beside turned to face me.

  “I’m Susan, Susan Tremour from New Jersey. This is Clive, my husband,” she said, as he groaned in response. She whispered, “He’s the dull retired type, so I envy you.” She laughed as my cheeks glistened. “Oh now, it’s perfectly normal. I’m hoping to find a little fun on this ship, too.” She whispered, winking and looking over at a gentleman seated at another table.

  “Good luck with that,” I said, and she nudged me, winking again.

  “I’d watch that one, young lady,” a woman with brown hair said.

  “Oh, hush now, Christine.” Susan said

  “Oh, leave the girl alone. This pair are young enough to be your children.” Christine said as her jolly-rounded husband laughed.

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Taylor. I’m Peter and this is Christine. You’re probably young enough to be my children, too.” He said as he held Christine’s hand. Peter seemed short next to his younger wife. His balding head, black comb over, and bulging suit gave him the appearance of a millionaire to be able to match the beauty his wife held.

  “It is wonderful to meet you all,” Lucian said in a chirpy voice. I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or if he meant it. Either way, I smiled as he put his arm around me.

  Dinner was exquisite. Delicate lamb shanks with red wine sauce. I didn’t feel like eating a starter, especially a fishy one. I could never stomach seafood, it always smelt vile. Lucian only had the main meal too, after all, he was mainly a social eater. It wasn't like he needed to digest it. I was surprised he managed to eat a thing. Where did it go? Desert came and went quickly. Who doesn’t love chocolate mint profiteroles with creamy, white sauce?

  The conversation at the table was a mixture of drunken rants, loved up squishy moments, and a fortunate end as our long-awaited coffees arrived. John and Joey had been together for seven years, planning to wed for most of them. Then, as soon as same-sex marriages were recognised by all states in 2016, they jumped right in there. It was sweet. They looked happy, loved up kindred spirits. Then there was Susan. She had already up and left the table before desert came out. Her Husb
and was fast asleep as his wife flirted with the man from table twelve. And finally, Christine seemed to want to be my best friend. She reminded me of Rowena, in some respects; the chirpy everyone-loves-me kind of girl, but without the girl stature. She was clearly over thirty, dressed in little to nothing to look like a twenty-year-old. Her and Peter seemed happy, although I did think that she’d married him for his money. But who was I to say what was right and wrong. I was clearly walking that fine line myself.

  As the evening came to an end, Lucian whirled me around the dance floor, speeding up as he spun me around and then slowing down to hold me in his arms. I think it was the first time I’d gotten to dance in his arms, the first time in that version of myself, anyway. I did wonder if we’d ever met before, in any of my previous lives. It is said that soulmates always find each other through every reincarnation of themselves. But did I die each time before we did? Only to pass on and be reborn again, while Lucian lived his immortal existence alone. It was a sad thought, really. Especially for someone that had lived so long. I wondered how long he had lived. Then again, if I created humanity, didn't that make me older? After all, Lucian was human until Lilith turned him in one of her monstrous experiments.

  “Just one more dance, Lucian,” I said as he whisked me off the empty dance floor.

  “Are you sure? You look tired.”

  “Just one more.” I smiled. He grinned and picked me up, placing me down beside the stage.

  “Okay, one more and then it’s off to bed for you.”

  “Yes, sir.” I laughed.

  The jazz band played a classic tune as we slow danced our last dance, ending our evening in the arms of one another. After the song, we kissed and then Lucian carried me up to our room. I fell asleep in his arms.

  CHAPTER 49: TAYLOR

  The next morning, the sun streamed through the open bedroom window as I lay listening to the sound of the waves. The smell of freshly poured coffee drifted into the room as I felt beside me to find Lucian's side empty.

  “Coffee?” Lucian asked as he walked in wearing nothing but tight jeans.

  “Please.” I held my head to stop the pounding.

  He laughed placing the cup on the table. “Yes, you did drink quite a bit yesterday.” He offered me two tablets.

  “Thanks,” I murmured. I took them and slunk back under the duvet. I must had fallen back asleep. Waking again, the coffee was cold, my headache was gone, and Lucian nowhere in sight.

  “Lucian?” I called out. No reply. Where had he gone now? I steadied myself up, pulled on a pair of jeans and vest top, and hobbled into the sitting room. No, he wasn’t there either. He must have gone out for something.

  Taking my time to primp and preen, I was up and ready to go.

  Lucian walked in with more bags. “Oh, good, you’re up. I have more surprises.” He said as he walked over and handed me a stringy pink bikini.

  “What am I meant to do with that?”

  He laughed. “It’s the only pink one they had. I know you like pink,” he said, grinning.

  “Okay, thank you,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.

  “Try it on. I thought we could go swimming.”

  I felt like a glamour model putting it on. It covered all the vital areas, but that was about it.

  "Gorgeous! And this will go perfectly,” he said as he gave me a matching sarong. I breathed a sigh of relief as I tied the sarong around. “Much better. Clearly, I love your body, but some parts of it I’d rather only I saw.” He said, laughing.

  “I couldn’t agree more.” I smiled. I was so glad he got the sarong. It wasn't that I was worried about what I looked like, I just didn't want any additional attention. It was hard enough keeping sane as it was without all eyes on me. My cheeks heated as I smiled again.

  He came over, grabbed my bum, and pulled me in for a wet hot kiss. “Mmm, come here.” He said as he pulled me down to the ground, unzipping his pants.

  Jeez, he was hot, the kind of hot that pulsates through you, heating your body from the inside out as you gasp, wanting more. He caressed the side of my face gently as he thrusted deeply. Exhaling quickly, my body throbbed. Goose bumps appeared as he nuzzled my neck, placing a line of delicate kisses all the way down to my bosom. Biting down on my lip as we reached that level together, in sync with one another. It was purity at its finest. Delicious, red hot, sweaty, rampant sex. It was making love in the rawest form, animalistic, pleasurable, and sensual. He was mine and I was his as we both screamed to the stars in our final orgasmic moment.

  After sex, we both lay panting. I curled in his arms as he kissed my forehead and told me he loved me. “I’ll race you to the pool!” I said as I jumped up, fixing my swimwear.

  “That’s not exactly a fair race when I’m a speedster, is it?” He laughed.

  “No powers, that’s not fair.”

  “Right, you’re on.” He jumped up and pulled on his trousers as I ran out the door and fled down the corridor to the deck. He was nowhere near as I reached the pool, almost knocking a man over that held a tray of wobbling drinks.

  “Sorry!” I smiled as I made it to the poolside. Lucian was already there, saving me a space under the cabana. “You cheat!” I yelled running up and pushing him.

  He laughed and pulled me in for a long, lust worthy kiss. “What? I couldn’t let a girl beat me,” he said, laughing again.

  I pretended to slap him as he smirked and cuddled me on the sun lounger. Beside us lay a banquet for two; fresh fruit, breads, meats and salad, perfect for a lunch under the sun.

  Lucian offered me a plate with a selection of enticing delicacies. “Catch,” he said, laughing as a grape hit me in the forehead.

  “You’ve got to work on your aim.” I laughed and threw one back at him. It flew past the side of his face landing in the pool, bobbing up and down before an unhappy waiter fished it out. My face lit up, hands clammy. “Oops,” I said as I hid behind Lucian, who sat holding his stomach he was laughing so hard.

  He finally stopped as the waiter stomped away. “Eat up, I don’t want your big brother to accuse me of starving you.” He smirked.

  “Adam's fine, he’s just protective, that’s all.”

  “Good, you need all the protection you can get. Is he the one from the cave then?”

  “Yes. It was lucky he found me in time.”

  “Indeed. You haven’t mentioned your dad or Caleb. Did you see them there?”

  “Not at first, but yes, I found them. Caleb’s still quite a mess, it’ll take him some time.”

  “Where are they now, though?”

  “They’re both in the celestial temple, helping Adam with the fortifications.”

  “Oh, I’m glad all your family is together.” He smiled.

  “Nearly all, my mum has been reborn and I’ve no idea where my other father and mother are. My father, God, banished my mum somewhere, but no matter how long Adam’s tried, he’s never found her.”

  “Maybe you will, one day. Families have a knack of coming together at the hardest of times.”

  “It isn’t that time, though.”

  “Not yet, but with Lilith’s stubborn nature, it will be.”

  “Do you really think she’ll attack us?”

  “Yes, she’s resilient like you. She’ll find her way to Adam and the temple. Nowhere is safe from her.”

  I shuddered. “I need to speak to her, she has to understand that I have no quarrel with her, neither does Adam.”

  “I doubt she'll care. When she sets her mind on something, there’s no stopping her. She’s trying to bring back her son after all”

  “True.”

  “A mother’s love; it’s the strongest love there is. Nothing can come in between a mother and her child. She will do anything. I speak from experience.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My mother tried to save me, before I was turned.”

  “Oh, Lucian. What happened?”

  “Lilith ate her.” He said. My jaw dropped.
r />   “What? Are you being serious?”

  “Yes, I was just a child, too. She ate her and served her to me for dinner. It was the first blood I ever tasted.”

  “Jeez! That’s awful.” I shuddered. “But, if she turned you as a child, why do you look older now?”

  “She didn’t turn me straight away. She fed me human meat every day for another ten years, prepping me on the world, befriending me as her kin. She treated me like her little brother. That was, until she bore Lucifer. She turned on me the day he was born, cast me aside like some unwanted trash.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s awful.”

  “It is. The hardest thing was when she took me to a settlement of humans and sat by as I ripped them apart, turning a few into Dark Ones just like me. That’s how we came about. A sad, motherless child taking out his woes on the world of humanity.”

  “Shit.”

  “It’s okay now. Don’t you worry. Like you said, if it wasn’t for your sister we would never have met. I’m grateful to her for that.”

  Silence met envy. If Lilith didn’t still care for him, she could have clicked her fingers and ended his existence. She must know that would hurt me the most. Yet she kept him around. Why? She must have had some emotional control over the darkness, some way of resisting its urges. Otherwise, she could have taken out all of humanity a millennium ago.

  After lunch and a quick dip in the pool, Lucian thought he would try beat me at crazy golf. We headed down the deck to the miniature course as he pretended to battle a pirate, paying and offering me a golf club. “I’m no good at this, Lucian.”

  “You don’t have to be, all you need to do is try, Miss Lane.”

  “I guess so.”

  The last time I’d played it was with my family; Mum, Dad, Caleb and me. Back in London, at Trinity park. I missed those days. Wasn't it funny how life could change so suddenly, be turned upside down in a moment’s notice and bang, your whole family is dead, killed by your own hand? No, it wasn't funny. It was sickening. “Go on then, Taylor, do you remember how to play?” Daddy asked as I wiggled my bum and hit the club over the top of the ball. “Here, baby, let me help you.” Dad had showed me how to use the club, how to aim, and where to hit the ball. I’d got a hole in one that day. I missed him so much.