Hope in Love

by J. Hali Steele

  “Look, got to go. Hey, thanks for your offer to help with Luke’s errant demons. I’ll owe you one.”

  “Good, I think I’ll need all the help I can get real soon. I will call you on that debt.” Ram vanished in a burst of white light.

  Uri decided now would be a good time to call on the angel-general. It had been a while since he visited with Michael. If he was lucky, the Fates might be in residence. In particular, Morta.

  * * * * *

  “What brings you from the belly of the earth?”

  “Not happy to see me?”

  “Uri, what do you want?” Michael asked.

  “Damn, Mick, you still pissed off about Northridge?” It was worse than that, but so what.

  “Northridge was the least of it. My concern came with Peru. Can’t you control yourself any better than that?”

  “Hey, talk to the Father on that one. It wasn’t my idea. Earthquakes are not designed by me. I just carry out orders, man.”

  “And don’t call me Mick. I hate it.”

  “Sorrrry.”

  Uri had tried to get a feel for Michael’s mood. So far it wasn’t good. He couldn’t tell what the cause of it was, but a good guess would be Ramiel.

  All the archangels were aware he was Michael’s favorite. They’d stopped fighting about it a long time ago. In fact, for most of them it was a blessing in disguise. He spent so much time worried about hope, the rest of them had free rein in their areas of jurisdiction.

  Only one thing was on Uri’s mind right now. Low and behold. He smelled her coming. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Decima appeared with Nona and Morta in tow.

  Yeah. He loved when a plan came together.

  “Ladies, such a nice surprise.” Uri beamed at the Fates as they entered Michael’s office. He faced them from his seat in a comfortable chair angled close to the desk. A ringside seat to watch Morta’s delectable ass swing across the floor. His teeth were on edge. Damn, he wanted a taste of that.

  She was magnificent. Damn near six foot of pure sex appeal. Venus had nothing on this babe. Her long, straight, ice-blonde hair fell to her waist. He couldn’t count the times the curtain of it covered his dick as she went down on him. Her violet-colored eyes shuttered and sultry as they peered up at him through thick lashes. The way she would moan when he entered her from behind… Shit, enough.

  It hadn’t happened yet, but it would. It was just a matter of time. And perseverance. He had nothing better to do at the moment.

  As she crossed the room to join her sisters, his eyes ate her up. Closest to him, she stopped feet from his chair. His penis jumped to life and he did nothing to hide his or its delight at seeing her. Luscious pink lips were puckered and ready to take him. Hidden from view by the corner of the desk, no one could see but her that he massaged his hardness to a larger life.

  She pulled her eyes from his and they drifted to his lap. With every bit of his power, he pushed at her mind. This could be all yours, baby. Say the word. He watched her cheeks flush.

  Oh yeah, just a matter of time.

  Morta glanced across the room as she moved to stand beside her sister Fates at Michael’s desk. Right near where Uri sat.

  Of all the angels who could have been in presence, this was the one she hoped would not be here. He was a real bastard. And after the display with Osce, she’d never forgive him. Not in a million years.

  But tell that to her disobedient body.

  Even now the wetness poured from her at just the sight of his long legs stretched in front of him. He did nothing to hide the swollen member behind the zipper of the latest fashion slacks he wore. She wasn’t sure who would win best-dressed of the year, but it would surely be between him and Gabriel. They were both clotheshorses.

  In looks, there was nobody like Uriel. She hoped the Father would not take offense, but this archangel looked like a god. In every way.

  His broad shoulders filled the chair he sat in and his legs had muscles she thought could handle the weight of her, and she was no slight thing. Those arms would hold her hard and tight to a chest that rippled with definition. She’d seen him in his angel form. Uri’s shaft was blessed with length and thickness. All of which she desired more than anything else in the heavens.

  She worked hard to mask the scent of sex that escaped from between her thighs. But she could do nothing to hide the look in her eyes as she met his. She was sure he’d know what she wanted. Uriel would be the just the one who could give her all she needed and more.

  The scar that ran down the left side of his face only served to make him even more mysterious and handsome. How had he come by it? Neither of her sisters had the answer and the Fates were privy to everything. It had to be the Father’s doing.

  His brooding sapphire blue eyes were covered by dark lashes that didn’t blink at the sight of her. His stare held her still for a moment as he ran his long fingers through thick hair as black as the bowels of the earth he protected. She watched, frozen, as his hand moved down to stroke his length through his pants. Uri did that for the effect it would have on her. She stared into his eyes and smiled at the words he put in her mind.

  The great archangel of the Earth. The antithesis to everything Morta was. Uriel was darkness and she was light. And she would make certain for eternity that the two never came together.

  But she couldn’t resist a little fun. It would be just between them. She melded into his mind and stroked his nipples with her tongue. Her fingers pinched the hard little nubs painfully. He gasped and the air flowed through her mind. After she gave him the feeling of her tongue and mouth savoring his balls, she squeezed them. She left them wet. He grunted with lust and desire in her mind. She let him feel the tightness of her pussy around his penis and sent him the vision of her taking him deep in her ass. That was all it took.

  Uriel came in his pants.

  Bitch.

  Bastard.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What the hell, Ram, there are millions of willing women in the world. You know that.” Luke was of no help whatsoever. “In fact, when we’re done here let’s hunt a few up. It’ll be like the old days.”

  Ram thought about it and decided he’d just go home. They were finished here, and watched the human firefighters put out the last of the flames. The demons were subdued and locked away where they belonged. Until they escaped again.

  He already missed Yael and not a full day had passed. How could he live the rest of his life without her? What was she doing right now? Did she even think of him? Deborah would shelter and care for her, so she would be safe. She was supposed to stay with him until the babe’s birth, and he could force her hand, but he wouldn’t. Yael needed to come back to him on her own accord, or not at all.

  Ramiel had never begged a woman to be at his side and he never would.

  It was for the best, anyway. Now Michael could not hound him about meshing with an exulted. He must know of it by now. As long as he and Yael were separated, Michael would leave them be.

  But what of his daughter? He was sure Yael had conceived, and he’d decided he wanted to take part in rearing her. Or was it just another way to be near Yael? Well, none of it mattered now. His babe would not be born for a long time yet. Her care would be dealt with then. Between Deborah and the Fates, his child would want for nothing.

  Something about that bothered him. He’d not allow his girl to be brought up by women who were bitter toward men. As a savior of men, she must have an understanding of them. These women didn’t seem fit to pass on that information. Not one of them had a man in their lives and he doubted they had any idea of how a man’s mind worked.

  Shit, he wasn’t capable of imparting any good knowledge to her in that area. He’d been one of the basest creatures allowed to walk the heavens and Earth. What could he teach her?

  Morose thoughts ate at Ram’s heart like an infection. He must do something to lance this wound and not let it fester. Yael had bought him such joy. Now what? More of the same?
<
br />   “You with me or not?”

  Luke’s voice jolted him. Women. The thought of sweet bodies and mouths had always tugged him in their direction. Not this time. Would he ever be able to lie with one again and not see copper curls and café au lait-colored skin? Would he search for her delicious aroma in each of them? Ram sure hoped not.

  “Not this time, Luke. Maybe later.”

  “Yeah, right. I’ll see you around.”

  Hopelessness enshrouded Ramiel once more.

  * * * * *

  Yael would remember that night forever. She had conceived.

  Deborah left her alone on the patio. Her friend did as much as she could to comfort her but nothing helped. She was not a whore and how dare he treat her as such? Simply because someone else might wish to couple with her did not mean she would want the same. She was not like him. If Ram were here now, she would smack his face.

  There were days Yael imagined she’d seen a new light in Ram’s eyes. She felt sure now that was just the newness of having a different woman to conquer. Allowing herself to think otherwise would only bring more pain to her heart.

  This time would have come sooner or later. A time without him. It was stupid to allow herself to care for him more than necessary to…to what? Copulate. That’s all it had been for him.

  Her hand lay on her stomach. Though it would be months before she felt movement, she carried their child. She could hardly wait now to hold her. It would be a part of him. Yael would never be able to look at their daughter and not think of him. The baby would have her father’s cobalt blue eyes.

  I love him.

  The pain of that admission washed over her. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sat and looked at the beautiful blooms on the magnolia tree in Deborah’s garden. Yael remembered those he planted for her in his domain here and on Earth. She would never be able to look at them again without heartache.

  Oh my goodness…Patricia! She had left her alone. Without another thought, Yael vanished to Florida and the Everglades.

  * * * * *

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I would have been afraid to go up there, what with Peter and all, but Osce was sent by Uriel to assist Lucifer and I had no way of getting to you,” Patricia said.

  “I still shouldn’t have left you.”

  “It’s safe here. How are you? Tell me what happened?”

  Yael saw the book she’d been reading on the table by the chair Patricia sat in. She didn’t think it would be a problem if she took it above with her. When she picked it up, she saw the blue and gold twined threads she used as a marker between the pages. It reminded her of the night she came back from her walk and found Ram naked on the beach. A deep shade of red covered her face. Unable to push the thought out of her mind, she did her best to put it as far away as she could.

  “I don’t think I can talk about it. The pain is too fresh.”

  “Yael, come back. I believe he misses you. He’s like a puppy dog with a long face.” Patricia smiled.

  She tried to picture that, but with no luck. Somehow Ram looking like a puppy dog just didn’t work for her.

  “He was so mean. I cannot believe he thinks I would jump into bed with just anyone. I’m not like him.”

  “Perhaps he was jealous. You have to understand men. They often get it wrong when they try to tell a woman how much they care.”

  “What do you mean?” Yael’s heart beat with hope and her eyes lit up with the realization that Patricia could be right. She sucked in air to calm herself.

  “Oh come, don’t tell me your husband never expressed jealousy in the same way? Men are stupid like that. They don’t know how to say what really bothers them. I know he was upset when you talked to the guy at the restaurant.”

  “What?” Now that Yael thought about it, Patricia was right. She remembered wondering what bothered him when he took her onto the dance floor. He’d seemed so tense.

  Patricia smiled broadly. “He said the young man would be going away. Personally, I think Ram wanted to send him away. As far away from you as possible.”

  Yael went back over the events of that night in her mind. She did remember him saying that. How could she have been so dense? Other things had happened between the two of them that could mean—

  “I can’t believe that his behavior was out of any real care for me. He just didn’t want another man to have what belongs to him.”

  “Yael, what I’m going to say to you may sound crude, and I hope you don’t dislike me for it, but here goes… Ramiel has never wanted for female companionship. He can have anyone he wants in this house, his bed or his arms.”

  Yael’s cheeks flamed at Patricia’s statement. Not in embarrassment but in anger. The thought of anyone else in his arms made her blood run cold. Patricia continued.

  “You know the stories. I have been part of them. Ram uses women and discards them like tissues. One has never held him as long as you have. You need to think about that.”

  Her heart raced at what her friend said to her. Could he really care for her? They could not have meshed if he had not opened his heart to her just a little, which was another problem to be dealt with later. Not now.

  “Patricia—”

  “I know this is a different time. But you had better use what you have and hold tight if you want him. I’ll help you in any way I can,” she said. Yael knew she meant every word of it.

  “We are meshing.”

  “Holy cow, Michael must be having a shit fit. This will be spoken of for years to come.”

  “What should I do?” She hoped her friend had advice.

  “I think everyone knows he’s the angel-general’s favorite. Use it. And also there’s this thing with you helping out the Fates and those unfortunate creatures on earth.” Patricia stopped suddenly and then barreled forward. “I hope his shields are strong enough that we’re not being overheard. It’s too late now. If the two of you are meshing, Michael will know.”

  “I have conceived.” Yael’s face flushed again.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does he know?”

  “I’ve not seen him since I left, but surely he must.”

  Yael sat heavily in the chair closest to her. Her legs were weak and she couldn’t stand any longer. Was it possible that he cared for her? She wanted him more than anything. Did she have the strength to follow through to keep him as hers?

  And what if they were wrong? What if she was a plaything he planned to discard when he was done? She did believe his eyes were different. On occasion she thought she saw happiness there. Joy even. Could it be because of her?

  There were also the times he pulled away from her and would not fill her with his seed. Maybe he had said, “I want to keep you”. She thought she’d heard it in the throes of passion.

  None of this mattered. She’d decided. Yael wanted to keep him.

  “Hell yes, I do.”

  “What?” Patricia’s eyes rose in question.

  Yael had not realized she’d spoken out loud.

  “I want him. You’re right. I will use every bit of my womanhood to keep him. But I won’t use my babe to get him or keep him. I can’t do that.”

  “I used to be pretty good at reading men and if I’m right, you won’t have to. I think he’s already yours. You just need to make him know it.” Her friend’s mouth curved in a knowing smile and there was a gleam in her eye. “You are a woman, right?”

  Her heart swelled with joy that he might care for her. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Yael loved him. She didn’t stop to think about what would happen if he never came to feel the same. Could she love enough for the both of them?

  “What are you doing here?”

  Yael’s head snapped around at the sound of Ram’s voice. It pulsed with anger.

  Suddenly, she was unsure of every thought she’d had. His caring about her was too good to be true. The tone he used would brook no argument she had for leaving as she had. And
no matter what, she would not crawl back like some wanton hussy. She straightened her back in the chair and mustered all of her courage.

  “I needed to make sure Patricia was well.”

  “And why wouldn’t she be?”

  “She is here at my request and I feel responsible.”

  “So what’s your plan for her continued well-being?”

  “Ram, I…”

  “Let me answer that for you.”

  The joy at seeing her back in his home did not come through in his voice. He was in shock and needed to buy time. One thing was for certain—he would do whatever it took to keep her there. Even use Patricia.

  His thoughts raced out of control at the idea of her leaving again and he had to think fast. Tired after fighting Luke’s wayward demons, his mind seemed not to function properly. He remembered thinking earlier he wouldn’t beg but it crossed his mind.

  She sat there so regal and so damn beautiful. He struggled for air. Shit, how had it gotten this bad? Things had gone so far that the sight of her took his breath away.

  Keep her, concentrate on how to keep her, idiot.

  He could enter her mind, but he didn’t trust himself to be careful in his current state, and with the meshing, she’d know instantly.

  Her cheeks glowed, which told him she was with child. His child. Why had she not confirmed that fact to him immediately? Her curls hung around her face and he wanted to run his hands through them. Cinnamon lips, that could set any part of him on fire, were parted. He watched as her pink tongue darted out to moisten them.

  “You did invite her here as a guest and I think you should stay with her.” Is that the best you could do? “I’m only thinking about her best interest until the Fates can deal with Peter.”

  “I see.”

  “If it will help you to feel better, I’ll stay out of your way.”

  “It’s your home, Ramiel. I wouldn’t presume to tell you when to come and go. I will stay as you suggest, but it’s I who shall endeavor to stay out of your way.”

  “I’m sure if we both keep out of each other’s way, things will be fine.”