by Nina Croft
“Partly. Partly because I owed a debt and working with the new Council was suggested as a way I might repay it.” He placed his empty beer bottle on the tray and took hers from her hand. “Enough of the past.”
Suddenly, she wished she’d put the robe on. She felt very aware of the fact she was naked beneath the sheet. Her body grew heavy and an ache started low down in her belly as his gaze roamed over the tops of her breasts.
His eyes darkened. He was going to make love to her and her whole body yearned for his touch. Something to take her mind off all that she had discovered. To take her mind from the fact that the past might be all she ever had. There was no future for her. Just the past and the here and now.
And Ash.
She stroked a fingertip down over his cheek. He had that delicious designer stubble again and her palm rasped over his rough skin. He held himself still as her finger traced the line of his mouth, the perfect sculpted shape of the upper lip, the passionate curve of the lower.
His tongue flicked out to lick her finger and a jolt of lightning shot though her. She pulled her hand away and stared at him.
This sort of desire was new to her.
The intensity scared her, but really what did she have to lose? Something told her that the little time left to her was running out. She didn’t want to die without experiencing this just once.
Her other hand still clutched the sheet and one by one, she loosened her fingers from their tight grip. The material pooled at her waist leaving her breasts bare. She shivered but not from cold. As Ash’s gaze fixed on her breasts, her nipples stiffened almost painfully.
She’d never thought of her breasts as impressive, they were too small. In fact, she was too skinny all over. She expended too much nervous energy ever to put on weight. Ash seemed to like them well enough though. He reached out with one huge hand and cupped her breast.
“You’re sure?” he murmured.
Why was he asking? At his first touch heat rushed through her veins. Of course, she was sure. She wouldn’t be sitting here naked if she wasn’t sure.
Maybe Ash was the one with doubts.
“How about you?” she said. “Are you sure?”
A slow smile spread across his face; his eyes turned sleepy and hot. “I was having this fantasy earlier today.” His voice was a low, velvety purr that caressed her ears.
“A fantasy?” The words came out as a whisper.
“Yeah. When you were cuffed. I liked that.”
“You did?”
“I was going to take you to my home, strip you naked, and chain you to the wall.”
The hand on her breast tightened and a jolt of pleasure shot to her groin.
“Then what?”
“Then, darling, I was going to fuck your brains out every time the thought crossed my mind.”
That really shouldn’t have turned her on. But an image flashed in her mind of her tied and helpless, Ash’s long, hard body pressing her into the wall behind her.
Moist heat flooded her sex and she pressed forward into his touch.
He leaned in closer. “You like that idea?” He breathed in deeply. “Oh, yeah, I’m guessing you like that idea a lot.”
She should protest. Really, she should. She’d never been into bondage or any of that kinky stuff. Hell, she’d never even been into sex all that much. Maybe she didn’t fancy nice guys after all. Maybe always deep down she’d yearned for the bad boys. Like Ash, who could melt her with a single glance from those dark eyes.
His hand left her breast, the pad of his thumb grazing her nipple and another groan escaped her throat. He rose to his feet; for a moment, she thought he was leaving and panic clawed at her. He couldn’t go now. She needed him.
But he came down on the bed beside her. So big and hard and utterly gorgeous, she lost the ability to breathe and sat as though in some sort of suspended animation.
Waiting.
He leaned across her so she could smell the musky scent of his body, mingled with hot cinnamon spice. His hands slid down her arms to her wrists and he bracketed them with his fingers. She didn’t resist when he raised them both above her head and caught them in his left hand, holding her easily.
She swallowed and looked into his face. A slight smile lifted the corners of his lips. “You like the idea of being helpless? At my mercy?”
She shouldn’t. But she’d never felt like this. As though she might explode with the need inside her if she didn’t get some sort of release.
He lowered his head so his hot breath feathered across her throat. “I won’t hurt you,” he murmured. “Not unless you want me to.” Sharp teeth nibbled her skin, then bit down on the tender spot where her shoulder met her neck.
“Tell me what you want, Faith. You’re at my mercy, but I’m yours to command.”
“Please…”
“Please what?” His mouth moved lower, so he spread kisses across the top of her breasts. With her arms still held above her head, her nipples pointed up, and she arched her back.
He laughed softly but licked his tongue across one taut peak. Then the other and she squirmed, pressing her thighs together to get some relief from the need that clawed at her insides.
He kissed her nipple and bit down so she felt it as a mingling of pleasure and pain.
“Don’t move,” he said as he released his grip on her wrists.
He slid farther down her body, pushing the sheet from her. His firm lips kissed across the flat plain of her belly, and then his breath was ruffling the curls at the base and everything inside her clenched up tight.
“Open your legs.”
The order was softly spoken, and she obeyed without thinking. He shifted lower. Her eyes were screwed up tight but she forced them open to peer down the length of her body to where his head hovered above the junction of her thighs.
In that moment, she knew she might die if he stopped. She might die anyway if he continued. She didn’t care. She’d never wanted anything quite so much as the touch of his mouth against her swollen flesh.
He glanced up at that moment, holding her gaze as he stroked across her sex with one finger. “You want me,” he murmured.
It wasn’t a question; it must be obvious how much she wanted him. She answered anyway. “Yes.” The word was a breathy whisper.
The tip of his tongue stroked her inner thigh. So close.
Then he licked a long slow swipe of his tongue, pushing between the folds of her sex.
Nothing had ever felt that good. Ever.
He withdrew slightly, to blow against the wetness of her sex. His breath was hot, like fire. He used one hand to spread her outer lips, and he stroked again, his tongue pushing briefly inside her. Her surroundings faded until Ash was her whole world and nothing else mattered. Not the truths she’d learned, not her illness. Just Ash filling her with heat and light, chasing the cold and dark away.
His movements were languid, slow, measured. Each stroke taking him closer the swollen nub that begged for his attention. A steady pulse throbbed between her legs now and she pushed up against him. Her head twisted from side to side and Ash clamped his hands on her hips to hold her still for his ministrations. Then his mouth was kissing her sex. He was eating her up, devouring her, and in that moment she would have let him consume her totally.
His lips slanted across her, his tongue pushing inside her one second, stroking her clit the next and she was going insane with the pleasure. The sensations building inside her. Her back arched and at that moment, he sucked on her clit, then bit down gently and she exploded against him.
He laved her gently as the waves washed over her, bit down again, and she came in a starburst of light.
She was vaguely aware that Ash had gone still against her.
“Shit,” he muttered as the whole building shook.
Chapter Twenty
Faith had heard of the Earth moving, but the building shaking? She forced open her heavy lids as tremors ran through her. A bright white light lit up the room. So
the stars hadn’t all been in her head. Another flash and the room shook again. The main lights went off, leaving them in the dim glow from the open curtains.
“Come on,” Ash said. “We have to get out of here.”
She shook her head, trying to clear the haze of lust and desire. “What’s happening?”
“We’re under attack.” He was on his feet now. “Where are your clothes?”
“In the bathroom.” She rolled on to her feet, steadied herself with a hand on the bed as another shock hit them. “Who’s attacking?”
She tried to get her brain into action. She wasn’t thinking straight. They were in the middle of the city. On the top floor of an office-tower block. Who the hell could be attacking them up here? Could it be some sort of terrorist threat?
It had to be related to what had gone on at MI13 earlier.
But who had this sort of power? Who would dare attack in the middle of the city?
Ash had disappeared into the bathroom. Now he reappeared with her clothes gripped in his hand. He tossed them toward her; she was back in her bloodstained shirt after all.
“Come on, babe, get a grip. You owe me two orgasms now. And I want those fucking orgasms. We need to get out of here.”
She gave a quick nod as another flare lit up the room. Quickly she pulled on her clothes. Ash was still fully dressed. He was right; she owed him an orgasm…or two. Next time, he came first.
If there was a next time.
Light flashed, illuminating the room. White light, tinged with blue and the very air crackled.
She followed Ash out of the bedroom and into the main room as the front door of the apartment was flung open from outside. Ryan stood in the entrance.
“The place is under attack from fucking angels,” he said, running his hand through his already messy hair. “If I could ever have foreseen anything in my life, this would have been the last fucking thing ever.” He glanced between the two of them, his eyes narrowing. “Did I interrupt anything?” When neither of them answered, he spoke again. “I came to get Faith. I didn’t know you were here—we thought you’d gone back…home.”
Faith was still trying to make sense of his words. Angels? They were under attack from angels. She must have heard him wrong. Though they were definitely under attack from something; the building was shaking again. All the same, she was going to discount the angel thing. She was dazed from Ash’s amazing…she must stop thinking about it and concentrate.
Yeah, she’d heard wrong. Vampires were one thing, but angels? Nah.
“Christian was looking for you,” Ryan continued to Ash. “You weren’t answering your cell.”
“I was busy.”
They both turned to stare at Faith. She drew herself up tall and hoped she didn’t look as though she’d just had Ash’s head between her legs, his tongue…
Stop thinking about it!
“Are we going?”
“Yeah,” Ash said. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” He held out a hand to her. She stared at it for a second; she would never have taken him for the hand-holding type. Then she slid her palm into his and his strength flowed through her.
“Christian says can you open a portal,” Ryan said. “We need to get Tara away. She lost your talisman. They took it from her.”
“Shit,” Ash said. “I can’t open a portal inside the building, the place is warded.”
A portal? A portal where? A talisman? Faith was so lost, she decided not to think anymore.
“Out on the street?” Ryan asked.
“Too many people. It will have to be the roof.”
“Not sure that’s a good place to be right now.” Ryan shrugged and pulled his cell out of his pants pocket. “Christian, I’ve found Ash. He says the roof.” He put the phone away. “They’ll meet us up there—you get that portal open.”
“A portal. A portal to where?”
Ash gave her a rueful smile. “Straight to hell, darling.”
He was speaking rhetorically…wasn’t he?
He squeezed her hand. “Well, honey, you said you wanted to know about me and you’re about to have a crash course.”
“A crash course in what?”
“Let’s just say, I don’t think I’m going to be collecting on those orgasms anytime soon.”
That didn’t sound good. She glanced away from him to find Ryan staring at her, eyebrows raised.
“Piss off,” she muttered.
“I suggest we all piss off. Before this place disintegrates around us.”
“They won’t do that,” Ash said. “These are warning shots.”
She turned to him, eyes narrowed. “Yeah, because you know all about angels, don’t you, Ash?”
Maybe he was an angel. That’s why he knew about them. She tried to cling to the idea as they hurried after Ryan, but somehow it wouldn’t stick. He just didn’t seem particularly angelic. Maybe he’d worked for them, like he now worked for the vampires. But again, she couldn’t quite convince herself.
He still had her by the hand and was pulling her along. They didn’t use the elevator but headed into the stairwell. As they were in the penthouse there was only one flight of stairs and then a metal door that led onto the roof.
“Let me go first,” Ash said. He gave her hand one last squeeze then dropped it and moved up to stand beside Ryan. As he raised his hand to open the door, he turned back to her. “Everything will be all right,” he said. “Trust your instincts.”
What did that mean? Her instincts were telling her to run screaming in the opposite direction. She nodded and gave him a weak smile.
“Good girl.”
She stepped back and bumped into Ryan.
“If I ever called you a ‘good girl,’ you’d call me a patronizing bastard and punch me in the nose,” he murmured.
“You are a patronizing bastard.”
“So just how ‘good’ were you?” He managed to leer and smirk at the same time.
“Again—piss off, Ryan.”
At that moment, the door opened and bright white light flooded the stairwell.
Footsteps sounded behind her. She glanced quickly away from the light and over her shoulder. Christian was climbing the stairs, Tara beside him and more people close behind them. She recognized the red-haired man from reception. Others she’d never seen before.
Ash had paused in the doorway. Now he turned. “How do you want to do this?” he asked Christian.
“I want you to take Tara to safety.”
“Christian—”
“It’s not an option, Tara. I want you away from them. They can’t kill me—not easily anyway—but you’re vulnerable, and I want you out of the way. Right now, we can still negotiate, but if anything happens to you, I’ll rip them into fucking pieces and beat them to death with their own sodding wings. And they’re not going to want to talk after that.”
Did he really believe there were real, genuine angels out there? With wings? Flapping about. They were kidding weren’t they? The light flared brighter.
“I’ll take her down,” Ash said. “The humans as well. Then I’ll come back.”
Christian nodded. He bent down and kissed Tara. “Faith, Ryan, and Graham—you go with Ash and Tara.”
“Er—where are we going?” Faith asked.
Christian turned to her and she saw a flicker of amusement flash across his face. “Ash is going to take you to his place until this is over.”
A shock wave hit the building and they all swayed. Faith rested her hand against the wall.
“And the sooner the better,” Christian added.
Ash’s place? She wanted to ask where that was. He’d mentioned Hell, but he’d been joking—hadn’t he? She’d presumed he had an apartment over at CR International, like Ryan. Maybe they were going there. From the roof. But she couldn’t see how that was going to work.
Christian stepped up beside Ash. She hadn’t noticed before, but he had a fucking great sword in a scabbard down his back. And a pistol at his waist, but so
mehow the sword seemed scarier. She felt like she had stepped into a dream.
He reached behind him and drew the sword with a rasp from the scabbard. “Let’s go.”
They stepped out onto the open rooftop. It was still long before dawn, but the sky in London was never truly dark. A blast of light shot toward them, Christian moved as though in slow motion, the great blade flashing in the bright light. The blast hit the steel and bounced off, showering sparks and lighting up the rooftop.
Someone touched her arm lightly and she jumped. She peered sideways, not wanting to take her eyes off Christian and his big sword. Ryan tapped her again and nodded toward the left and up in the sky.
Holy shit. A real, honest to God, goddamn angel. More than one.
Of all the things she had seen and heard that night, this one was too much. At least seven feet tall and glowing and with white wings that beat languidly and obviously held them up in the air so they floated high above the rooftop.
White wings—she could make out the individual feathers. A group of three and as she watched they spread out. Each raised an arm and simultaneously white fire streaked through the sky, heading for their group. Someone grabbed her and hurled her to the ground. An arm wrapped over her head, protecting her as the explosions hit the ground all around them. She peered out through the small gap. Christian moved with inhuman speed, deflecting the blasts, but then, he wasn’t human.
“Are you going?” he snarled over his shoulder.
At first, she thought he was talking to her, and then she realized it was Ash who was on top of her sheltering her with his body. She peered around. Tara stood at Christian’s back. Graham cowered behind a low wall. Ryan had ducked back inside the still-open door.
Ash rose to his feet, dragging her up and covering her with his huge body. All around stars exploded in the sky like fireworks. Not stars though, but more of the same.
More angels.
The blasts had stopped. One of the first three angels flew toward them and alighted in front of their small group.
“Hand over the abomination.” The voice was like music.
“Piss off,” Ash replied.
“Hand her over, and we will let you all pass.”
