There’s just something about him.
Swallowing, she reminded herself that she was an angel. Yes, some angels had human lovers. They said it made them feel alive once more, but she would never do such a thing. Her life belonged to Caine and she followed his orders without question.
So don’t look at him and see a man who makes you feel. See a man who might have answers for you on your mission.
Striding forward, her gaze never left the man as her heart raced in her ears. And then, he looked up. His eyes widened, and the hay tumbled from his shoulder. Electricity crackled between them, and she felt lost for one powerful moment. Not the way she felt lost when she died, but the way she felt when she was reborn.
At that moment, her foot smashed through the grass and into a hole. Her ankle twisted and she gasped as she tumbled forward. She went down, and lying on the ground, she felt confused. Angels were graceful, not clumsy.
What just happened?
“Are you all right?” The man’s voice was deep and smooth, moving along her spine like silk sheets. He was closer, but he didn’t sound out of breath from his sprint to reach her.
She shuddered and shook her head, shocked by her reaction. Trying to jerk her foot free, she didn’t look up at the man as a wave of desperation swept over her.
“Let me,” he said, kneeling at her side.
His hand touched the back of her knee and slid lower.
She had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. It was as if her body was awakening, suddenly sensitive to everything around her in a way that was overwhelming.
He unlaced her boot and pulled her foot free. She closed her eyes and tensed as his warm hand brushed the bare skin of her ankle. “I’m not a doctor, but I don’t think it’s broken. Just twisted.”
She tried to respond, but no words left her lips.
She gasped as his arm slid around her waist, and suddenly she was pulled into a standing position, her body pressed against his. Slowly, as if caught by the tide, she looked up and into his face. Time stood still as she realized that he had mismatched eyes, one deep blue, and one an emerald green.
So uniquely beautiful.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded. The wind stirred around them, and she was shocked by the chilled air against her skin. All of her senses rushed at her. It wasn’t just that she had a sense of autumn; she swore she caught the scents of the forest. And more. Was there an orchid nearby? Yes, she was certain there was!
Her head spun. She clung to his bare shoulders, scared she might fall.
“It’s okay,” he murmured softly before he swept her off her feet and into his arms.
She cried out in surprise.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, sounding concerned.
She smiled at the idea of a human hurting an angel. “No, I’m okay. You just surprised me.”
He leaned down, while still holding her, and yanked her boot free from the hole it was trapped in. “You’re the one who surprised me.”
“Why?” she asked, loving each word that left his beautiful lips.
He raised a brow. “It’s not every day that a man sees the most striking woman he can imagine.”
“Oh,” she said, feeling her cheeks heat.
I’m an angel. She reminded herself. So, why was she blushing? Why was she acting so... human?
“Why are you here?” He tilted his head, and his long hair fell over part of his face.
Moving without thinking, she pushed wayward strands back from his face and tucked them behind his ear. She froze as their eyes met again. Somehow her touch had changed to something intimate.
“What’s your name?” he asked, and the husky quality of his voice made her heart leap.
“Surcy.”
“Surcy,” he repeated, as if memorizing her name. “I’m Tristan.”
Tristan. God, why did she think she wouldn’t forget this man’s name for the rest of her eternal life?
“You never said what you’re doing here,” he prodded, gently.
Her mind worked quickly. “My car broke down and I left my phone at home.”
He nodded. “It wouldn’t have worked out here anyway.”
Spinning, he started to carry her toward the farm.
“Where are we going?”
“I thought we could ask the Arthurs what to do.” His hands tightened around her.
“The Arthurs?”
“They are the h—people who own this farm.”
She studied him. “I guess I thought you owned this farm.”
His expression gave nothing away. “No, my friends and I simply work here.”
I should be telling this man I can walk on my own. I should be plaguing him with questions that help my mission. Not staring up at him wondering what his lips taste like. Or imagining what it’d be like to have his big body pressed against mine while he thrust deeply—
She felt her nipples harden and shook her head. This was insane! She wasn’t a horny teenager. She was an angel with a job to do.
So do your job!
“Uh,” she swallowed, somehow lost for words. “Have you noticed anything strange around here lately?”
His gaze met hers. “Everything is quiet here and very peaceful, just the way we like it.”
She couldn’t decide if he was a man of few words or if he simply didn’t want to tell her more.
Her hands grasped his shoulders when he suddenly began to put her down. Then she realized that he’d laid her gently on a wooden bench in the front of the barn. It actually surprised her how gentle such a big man was. She wouldn’t have believed it possible.
When he stepped back from her, the strangest sadness came over her. Since dying, she’d felt like being an angel was better than anything imaginable, but somehow, she’d forgotten what it felt like to be touched. Her skin hummed with a need to have this man’s hands on her again.
A shirtless statue of a man stood over her. Power flowed from him like waves as every hard muscle begged to be touched.
“I’ll go and get the Arthurs.” Still he lingered as if the last thing in the world he wanted was to go.
Her hands twitched to touch him again, to pull him closer.
Without another word he turned and headed toward the farmhouse.
She watched him go with a strange mixture of feelings. If he brought the farmers and they knew nothing, she would have to go. Her mission was to find demons, not to explore the way this strange man made her feel.
The sound of water running made her tense. What’s that?
Grabbing her boot from where the farmer had left it on the bench, she winced as she stuffed her foot back in it and laced it back up. Rising, she limped around the barn and froze.
Fuck!
Where in the hell was she? Another man—this one just as gorgeous—stood a few steps away, absolutely stark naked. He held a hose above his head and scrubbed his hair and face under the water.
Something must be wrong with her. She stood in place, unable to move. Her gaze swept from his neatly trimmed dark hair to his very impressive muscles, to his cock.
Maybe her memory was fuzzy, but she didn’t think most human men were built like that: Long, thick, and absolutely enticing. His shaft was begging her to touch it, and she was ready and primed to do just that.
She knew the moment he spotted her. He swore and the hose dropped into the mud under him as his hand went around his dick, covering himself from view.
What the hell is wrong with me? She snatched her gaze from his impressive length, and her eyes met the pale blue irises of the handsome man. He looked... embarrassed.
“I’m—I’m sorry,” she stuttered.
He grabbed a pair of glasses off a barrel near him, while still keeping himself hidden with the other hand. When his gaze landed on her, his eyes widened.
“What are you doing here?”
Looking for demons. “My car broke down.”
He stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably. For some reason, she got the o
dd sense that the man didn’t believe her.
“And your broken car lead you to stand there... staring at me.”
For the second time since her death, she blushed. “I heard the water, and I—“
“Couldn’t help yourself?”
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I should have... looked away.”
He ran fingers through his wet hair. “Uh, would you mind handing me that towel behind you?”
She turned and spotted the towel on another barrel. Grabbing it, she moved slowly forward. Her boots crunched on the gravel as she walked toward him. When she was a couple of feet away, she held out the towel.
He raised a brow and reached for it. Their hands touched. She swore a slight groan left his lips before he cut it off.
Breathing hard, she didn’t take her eyes from him as he pulled the towel around his waist and switched off the hose.
“Freakin’ Daniel,” he mumbled.
“Huh?” she asked, her gaze glued to a trail of water running down his chest.
“My... uh... friend pushed me into a pile of manure. Which is... uh... why I’m out here showering, you know,” he cleared his throat, “naked.”
His shyness shocked her, and she felt her lips curl into a smile. “I’ll have to thank him later.”
He turned.
She felt her eyes widen. Did I actually just say that?
And then, he threw back his head and laughed. “I didn’t know an—,” he cut himself off. "you were so funny,” he corrected.
Surcy shook her head, embarrassed. “I’m not usually. I just have diarrhea of the mouth for some reason. I mean, I don’t usually stumble across hot farmers, naked, with their giant junks just hanging out, and—“ She closed her mouth, in complete shock at the things that had just come out of her mouth.
He grinned at her, his look so sexy that her freaking knees actually felt weak. “Never apologize for telling a man he’s hot and has a giant package. We actually like it quite a bit.”
She didn’t know what to do, so she just stared down at her boots, now sinking in mud. None of this was like her. And yet... didn’t she used to get embarrassed around attractive men? Didn’t she talk too much?
How did I die and become a completely different person? And how did I forget who I was? The thought disturbed her.
“Mark?”
She spun to see Tristan moving toward her, followed by an old woman. Her smile was gentle. Her white hair was pulled back from her face in a bun and flour dusted her cheeks and the front of her apron.
“So this is our visitor!” she exclaimed. “You sure are a beautiful woman. She could be a model, couldn’t she, Tristan?”
The big man followed behind her, and his expression was one of humour. “She could.”
The old woman took her hands. “I’m Abigale Arthur, and my husband and I own this farm. I’m sorry that your car broke down out on that lonely stretch of road. If you hadn’t have found us, you would’ve been walking for hours to reach a town.”
Surcy smiled, enjoying the human’s talkative and friendly nature. Finally, a normal human!
“I’m glad I found you too.”
“But I must tell you,” the woman said, a slight frown pulling her lips. “Arty came by yesterday and towed the truck out of here. It was having some issues, so right now we don’t have a car to take you to town. Arty said he’d bring the truck back tomorrow though, so if you can stay the night, we can get you right where you need to be then.”
“No problem,” she said. “I’m in no hurry.”
Abigale’s smile returned. “I bet. You probably got one look at these boys and decided you wouldn’t mind staying one bit.” Then, she winked. “Just know they’re sweet as candy though. They might be big as ogres, but they’re cuddly as kittens.”
Someone laughed.
She whirled around. A man leaned against the barn. He was as big as the other two, but he had short blond hair and an absolutely arrogant expression on his handsome face. The red plaid shirt he wore seemed strangely out of place, as did the piece of straw in his mouth.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard Mark and Tristan compared to candy and kittens.”
The old woman made a tisking sound and released Surcy's hands. Walking to the blond, she pulled the straw out of his mouth. Instantly, he looked down at her, his expression softening.
“Be nice, Daniel,” she said, patting his shirt. “I know you don’t like strangers, but the woman needs a place to stay for the night, and I already know she won’t be any trouble.”
The man named Daniel looked toward her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Is that right, sweetheart, you’re not going to be any trouble?”
She instantly disliked him... or, at least, her response to him was instant. “That’s right.”
He raised a brow, but patted the old woman’s shoulders. “Glad to hear it.”
Abigale smiled and looked back at her again. “I’m happy we got that straightened out. Now, Mark and Tristan, go get cleaned up. She had better eat dinner with us before she sees you naked again.”
Surcy’s jaw dropped and the old woman laughed.
The man named Mark blushed and didn’t say a word as he clutched his towel and headed for the house. Tristan followed slowly behind, locking gazes with her one last time before following the other man.
“Now,” Abigale said, turning to them both. “Why don’t you let Daniel show you around, and I’ll go finish up on dinner.”
The old woman hurried off, and then, she was left with the blond. He still watched her too closely.
“You want to see a farm?”
Her shoulders stiffened. “Sure.”
He started in one direction, leaving her to follow after him.
For some reason, his behaviour irritated her. He acted as if she were an inconvenience. If she was really a woman stranded after walking for hours through the woods, she’d be pissed at his behaviour.
At last, he stopped at the edge of the woods. “This is the end of the Arthurs’ land.”
She glanced between him and the trees. “Okay.”
He turned back to her. “And that ends the first exciting stop on our tour.”
As he started to walk again, she felt a flash of anger. “I’m sorry, have I done something to offend you?”
He stopped, and very slowly, turned back to her. Moving closer, he didn’t stop until he was invading her space.
A quiver moved through her body. He was so big. Tall. Strong. And as much as he radiated an annoying cockiness, she could also imagine running her tongue along his jaw. She bet a man like this wouldn’t make love to her. He was the kind of man that fucked a woman so hard she couldn’t walk straight.
Where the hell did that thought come from?
“Are you really here because your car broke down?”
Her thoughts snapped back to reality. “Yes,” she lied.
“And you just arrived in this area?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
He didn’t speak for a long minute. “Abigale and her husband are good people. They don’t need any trouble.”
Again, she stiffened, trying to stand taller. “I’m not here to bring trouble.”
He looked like he doubted her. “Oh? Then you’re just here to ogle my naked friend?”
She tried to hide how flustered his question made her. “I’m just here because of my car.”
He leaned closer. Close enough so she could feel his breath on her face. Something inside of her tightened and heated up. His lips hovered over hers. She ached. Ached for his lips on hers as she leaned in a hair’s length closer.
“Good,” he whispered.
When he brushed past her and kept walking, it took a second to stop her head from spinning. As she followed him in silence, she clenched her fists. There was something wrong with her. She’d felt so alive as an angel, but since meeting these men her perspective was changing so fast it frightened her. She no longer felt as if being an angel
made her feel alive. That was nothing. A shadow of life. But this... the crazed way her body responded to their nearness, this reminded her of living.
I need to get out of here as fast as I can. Before something happens that I can’t undo.
And yet, she had the terrible feeling she was already too late.
Chapter Two
Surcy smiled as Tristan took the large plate of biscuits from Abigale’s hands and placed them on the table. There was something... endearing about watching the big men running around helping the old woman. They acted as if she were the one in charge and they her doting sons.
When they seated themselves at the table, they took hands and said a prayer before diving into the food. James was the farmer. A man who looked to have once been tall and strong, but had seen better days. His back was bent. His white hair thin on top, and his clothes hung awkwardly from his reedy body.
And yet, he smiled easily, and laughed often, as they all talked.
It was... strangely comforting to have been accepted into this little family as if she’d always belonged. It made her miss her own family.
Why didn’t I miss them until now? It was as if they’d been a distant memory, and now they felt like an important part of her once more.
“So, Surcy,” Abigale began. “What do you do for a living?”
She stiffened, giving them the job she’d been in life. “I’m a teacher.”
“A teacher!” Abigale exclaimed. “What a difficult job!”
She laughed, and memories came back to her. “It’s not so bad. In fact, I loved it. I taught junior high. It’s a fun age, where they’re not quite adults or kids. They need a lot of guidance, but they have such good hearts.”
“Not everyone can teach,” James said, reaching for a piece of fried chicken. “Good for you!”
They ate some more, and when the conversation began to lull, she prepared herself. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. “It’s so quiet around here. I bet nothing much happens.”
Abigale nodded, drinking some of her milk. “This place was getting pretty boring until these boys arrived.”
She frowned. “They haven’t been here long?”
The men had slowed in their eating, none of them looking up at her.
“Just a short time,” Abigale said. “But in that time they’ve practically rebuilt this place. We don’t know what we would do without them.”
Mates of the Realms: The Complete Collection: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Box Set Page 73
