by Mimi Barbour
Babbling, she said, “What a night. Could you believe the hullaballoo? I swear Mrs. Brill sobbed like a baby when I phoned to say we’d found Giorgio. Seems the reward had been upped to ten thousand dollars, and she insisted she’d be writing us a check for every penny. I told her we’d be happy to donate it to the SPCA. Now that they have so many puppies, they’ll need to find good homes.”
Blah, blah—it was like a geyser had attached itself to her mouth. First she looked over his shoulder and then above his head.
Being a good guy and obviously sensing her discomfort, Liam placed his elbow near her face, balanced his head on his fist, and his teasing grin said it all. He’d go along—for now.
“Good idea. I need to get one of those pups for my dad. He put his order in earlier today. Figures, now he has a family to look after again and another little boy to love, he’s decided the house needs a pet.”
Even though they’d never met, Sadie liked Liam’s father instantly. From the little Liam had shared with her, she’d sensed they had issues, and she hoped those would soon be resolved. Now that she felt so differently about her own goofy relatives, she was ready to open her heart to his also. “He sounds like a sweetheart.”
“Yeah, I’ve just begun to realize he’s pretty wonderful. You do know the old saying, don’t you? Like father, like son.”
Compliments flooded into her head, but stayed there. Her tongue felt as if someone had ripped it down the centre and tied a lover’s knot with the two ends. Frustrated, she knew she was nuts about the guy and needed to tell him. Or, at the very least, show him.
Taking her time, she lifted her arms to encircle his naked back, then rubbed her hands over the muscles. Overcoming her reserve, she opened herself. “Don’t laugh! But I just knew you’d come and save me at that place tonight.”
“How could you know that? It was pure good luck that we found out the information about the farmhouse in time.” His fingers stroked her cheeks and then her lips.
“At first when they tied me in the chair, I was petrified. I couldn’t move, and I thought the worst. But I saw your face, and your voice whispered for me to be strong and not afraid. It was the strangest experience.” The shudder she couldn’t hold back endorsed her words. “Then a hook suddenly appeared on the wall close to me. I could have sworn it wasn’t there when I first checked my surroundings.” She felt Liam stiffen, and she groaned. “It gets even crazier. The ropes around my arms mysteriously loosened.” He started to back away and she added. “You think I’m crazy?”
“No! I’m just so happy it all worked out the way it did. That you got away. I don’t think I could have stood it if they’d hurt you.”
Sadie heard the truth in his voice. The harsh tone said it all. She looked into eyes that gleamed and noticed the extra shine of emotions he couldn’t hide.
That did it. Reaching up, she kissed him like she’d never kissed anyone before. With her heart and soul urging her on, she worked magic.
Chapter Thirty
Liam had never been kissed in quite this way. Never trembled like a shock victim before, either. Sadie’s lips connected to sanctuaries in his body that were secret, safe places. But they opened to her—her spirit and her love—with a welcoming reciprocal emotion, then closed back down with her safe inside.
Forever, she’d be his. And he accepted it without any doubts. This woman belonged with him, and from now on he’d cherish her with every breath he took.
Soon he stopped thinking about anything but giving her pleasure. His tongue searched for hers, and he twisted first one way and then the other in order to taste her better. He swore he could hear her heart beating and, lowering his mouth, he sucked and nibbled on the pulse working overtime in her neck.
No other woman’s sighs and moans had ever turned him on like Sadie’s did. Losing control, he ground his lower body into hers and then growled with satisfaction when she wrapped her legs around his hips and played tit for tat.
The constricting blankets had to go. He whipped them off at the same time as he moved her on top of him so he’d be free to help her undress. He reached for the bottom of her silky top, but before he lifted it, he searched her gaze. A smile flashed to express his commitment to the step they were taking.
Her answering smile, identical to his, melted everything hard inside of him. Except for one area that just grew bigger, if that was even possible. His need for another scorching kiss took precedence before they moved on but soon her clothes again got in the way of searching hands.
Panting and moaning, she helped him by wiggling this way and that, movements his lower body appreciated. Once uncovered, her full, beautifully formed breasts sat high and firm, the pink tips hard and mesmerizing. They drew him, and she seemed to sense his need. Leaning over him, she let him have full access and then cradled his head while he made love to her chest.
The hungry woman cooed in his ear, and that encouraged more fondling. Soon intense desires demanded he get on with it. Gently he rolled them both to their sides and slid her shorts from her tiny waist and over her hips. He ditched his bottoms while she made friends with the nubs on his chest.
God, she could use that tongue! His body had never swelled to this extent, and the passionate painful intensity made him grit his teeth. Of their own accord, his fingers found her wetness, and he played with her, enjoying her reactions. Never had a woman undulated in quite this way, and his barely-held control slipped further.
Nerve ends screamed for satisfaction. Enough play time. Dazed, he lifted himself and slid her under so she’d be on the bottom. Immediately she accommodated him by straddling his hips and, once again, opening herself to him completely.
He smelled her woman’s scent and lost all control. Her entrance beckoned and he penetrated… but slowly—the tightness spoke for itself. She hadn’t been with anyone in a very long time, if ever.
With tender ministrations, the wet passage stretched for his sensitized body. He glided in and out—slowly at first, and then faster. Until with hips pumping, he began to move with a rhythm that she copied.
Shuddering—her moans increasing—he came to realize the wild spasms gripping him meant she’d reached her goal. Now, he could surrender. The last push impaled him inside her deeply, intimately. He was home.
Like aftershocks, tremors from inside Sadie continued, and the sensitized tip of his penis reacted. Waves of pleasure continued to flow. I’ve reached paradise! It was all he thought as his body floated back to earth.
Strength deserted him. Muscles refused to function. Forced to, he dropped his weight on the slight, sweaty, heavy-breathing girl under him. Right now, a baby could take him in arm wrestling.
Her soft mews of satisfaction gave him the utmost pleasure. And so did her arms that squeezed him hard. He’d just been to heaven with this angel. And if he had anything to do with it, he’d be returning there very soon.
Chapter Thirty-One
He didn’t have the heart to wake her. Curled up in his arms, she slept the sleep of the innocent, her silky hair spread over his chest. Probably the hair tickling is what woke him up.
Carefully he swept the silky mass back from her face and happened to catch the illuminated numbers on his watch. Oh-oh. Mustn’t be caught here in her bed.
Moving slowly, he loosened her grasp and shifted himself to the side, where he could slide out from under her warm, clinging body. He’d give a million dollars to stay in the cocoon with her, but he cared too much about her vulnerable nature. As cool as her family were, he sensed that Sadie’s new-found understanding of them still needed time to flourish.
If he had his way, and he fully intended to, they’d soon have a license that gave him rights to her bed. Then, no matter where they slept, he’d never have to leave her again.
His pajama bottoms were on the floor, and he slipped into them without making a sound. He turned to leave, but couldn’t. Her essence drew him and he let it. Standing near her side, he loved her a little more with every beat of his h
eart.
A ping, one he was beginning to recognize, sounded the arrival of his mystical friend.
“She’s quite something—”
“Shush, you’ll wake her.”
“Aye, lover boy, we’re not talking out loud. Remember?” Johnny-angel’s teasing grin forced Liam to look away.
“Sorry. It’s become so normal to converse with you like this; I forget no one else can hear us.”
“I’ve just popped in to say—so long, it’s been nice to know ya.”
Shock hit him, big time. “You can’t just leave. What if I need you again?”
“I would venture to guess that your life is on an upswing” The angel’s tone lost its teasing. “My dear fellow, you will be fine from here on out. Once I leave this room, you’ll forget I ever existed. We can’t have folks running around claiming to see angels, now, can we?”
Sadness struck, but sense prevailed. Liam knew what the angel said made sense. Still, he hated the idea of letting go.
“You still have a problem?” The rascal stood with his legs apart and his arms folded. The sleeves of his blousy white shirt draped over the belted narrow waist. For some reason Liam couldn’t figure out, the lace on the cuffs didn’t seem at all effeminate.
Taking a minute, Liam thought about what his angel had said, and finally he answered. “You know you’re right. Now that I’ve found my future wife, I’m good.” He looked over at Sadie, and if a heart could flip, his just performed multiple somersaults. “And I don’t think I’ll be having any more sleepless nights after talking things over with my Dad. He straightened me out. And if the nightmares come back, I’ll just go and rehash with him again. I’ve gotta tell you, it feels pretty damn good to know he understands.”
“That’ll work both ways. You know that, don’t you?”
A few seconds passed as Liam absorbed the full meaning. “Message received, loud and clear.” He understood one thing clearly. Who but an angel can make a person commit to not acting like a self-centered jackass?
“And the future? Your intentions? Will our little Sadie need to suffer a long-distance relationship?” Censure could barely be heard, but Liam picked it up.
“No. Leaving her now that we’ve found each other isn’t in the picture. I’m thinking the army has seen enough of this soldier. My plans are to stay in DC and get my law degree—specialize in immigration law.”
When he smiled, the Johnny Depp lookalike was the perfect replica of the handsome actor. Seeming to float, he moved over to stand beside Sadie and a visible glow resonated softly around his still figure.
Not wanting to let go, Liam insisted. “But you’re still my guardian angel. You’ll come again in case I need you, right?”
“Probably not, mate. Since I never was your angel…”
Ping!
… I’m Sadie’s.
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading His Devious Angel, the second book in The Angels with Attitude Series. I loved writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it.
If so, I would ask you for a favor. If you purchased this book at Amazon, please take a few minutes and leave an honest review.
Authors enjoy hearing that readers like their stories, and hopefully, others will read your words and choose to buy the book because of your sentiments.
Loveable Christmas Angel
Book 3 of the Angels with Attitude Series
Sweet romance,
A loveable angel,
and a prickly little boy’s Christmas wish.
Christmas in Hawaii! How lucky can a girl get? Except Leilani is bringing her mother’s ashes home to Waikiki and has an urgent plea for help from an aunt she’s never even met. After winning two free nights in prestigious Hotel Jordan, things take a turn she never expected. First, she is stuck in an elevator with the prickly, but luscious Mr. Jordan. Secondly, her aunt is a sick woman and only held on for one reason. She wants to pass on her most precious possession… her five-year-old grandchild. The same prickly little fellow that takes one look at Leilani, slaps his fist on his hips and yells, “Go away!”
Kale is the owner of the Jordan Hotel Chain and he can’t believe his rotten luck. He broke up with a spoilt brat of a girlfriend and now he’s stuck in an elevator with a big-eyed, effusive tourist. How in the world can a guy who’s so worldly be hooked on a lively beauty with more dilemmas than anyone he’s ever met?
This book is dedicated to one of my oldest and dearest friends, my mother-in-law, Freda. This angel of a woman has been in my corner from the beginning of my career as an author, and has made every achievement that much sweeter!
Chapter One
“Please, sir. You and your wife take this taxi. She looks exhausted.” Leilani Taylor stepped away from the open door, put her suitcase behind her and waved the older gentleman and his fragile-looking wife forward. As the cab drove up, she’d noticed them in the never-ending line and knew the elderly couple had a long wait before it would be their turn. “Please.” She beckoned them over. “I’ll take your place.”
“You’re an angel, dear.” The older woman patted Leilani’s hand as she accepted help getting into the car. Leilani smiled and made sure the woman was safely tucked in before closing the door.
“Bless you,” said her grateful husband. He hooked his silver-topped cane over his arm and reached to shake her hand. Once they were all secure, the taxi drove away and Leilani stepped back into the place they’d held so that no one would feel put out by her gesture.
Another taxi pulled up across the traffic-filled lanes of the airport shuttle bus area and a small Hawaiian man stepped out. The man looked like an attractive grandpa, his wavy hair snowy white around his face. He wore a traditional, short-sleeved blue shirt decorated with white orchids and around his neck hung a multitude of gorgeous leis.
Painted island flowers decorated the outside of the cutest old coral pink car she’d ever seen; coral pink happened to be her favorite color. He caught Leilani’s gaze when he waved a large sign overhead with her name on it.
Heavens! Now what? She hesitated to go over and give up her new place in line, but he looked like someone she could trust. Once again, she stepped from the snaking line and made her way over to him. “That’s my name, but I didn’t order a taxi to meet me.”
“The airlines had a contest, Leilani Taylor, and you’re the winner. The hosts were supposed to tell you on the plane. They must have forgotten. You’ve won two nights at one of the most prestigious hotels on the beach in Waikiki, and better still, you have me to drive you there.”
The irrepressible grin on the handsome face of the older Hawaiian forced an answering one from her. What a loveable character!
In her job as a hospital nurse, Leilani met many strange characters. Inevitably, because of her personality, she tended to like her patients—unless, of course, they did something distinctly unlikable.
This little man’s aura drove a silver stake right into her soft spot and she had the biggest urge to give him a hug. One day she had to stop taking people at face value. Everyone who knew her weakness warned her, but what’s a girl going to do when her heart overrules her head.
“What about my reservation at the Outrigger, aye?”
“All taken care of, young lady. You’re not to worry about a thing.” When he saw her hesitate, he pulled a slip of paper from inside his open window and handed it to her.
The form looked official and her name added to the winner’s line calmed her lingering unease. Indeed, for the first time in her life, she’d won a contest. Considering the bad things that had happened to her recently, it looked as if her luck had changed.
Soon, adorned with the beautiful leis she’d admired from afar, she was ensconced in the back seat of the outlandish vehicle. The moment she’d entered the taxi, she’d relaxed. Swiveling in every direction, she studied the interior and pleasant shock had her mouth hanging open.
Displayed everywhere were the cutest trinkets. Plastic pineapples, palm trees,
dolphins and so many other knick-knacks a tourist might use to fancy up a fridge back home. He’d even strung twinkle lights and Christmas ornaments around the front dash. The sight made a laugh bubble up inside until she couldn’t contain it.
Leilani leaned forward to make sure her driver could hear her over the soft Hawaiian music flowing from the radio speakers. “I must tell you how much I love your decorating style. I’ve jazzed up my Bessy, and always thought I was the only person who liked this kind of thing.”
“Bessy?”
“An old jalopy I’ve had for years. The mechanics groan every time they see me coming, but she just keeps going, and I don’t have the heart to abandon her to a junkyard.”
“I see. You’re attached to a possession made of rubber and steel?” Was that a smile she heard in his voice?
“Heavens, no! But I am attached to the memories it holds. I remember the first time I drove alone. My foot shook with fear and nerves made me grab the wheel so hard I left nail indents in the leather. The van jerked while I raced at twenty-five miles an hour.” A giggle broke loose at the memory.
Leilani continued. “Driving my mother to the hospital the day after I’d finally saved enough to buy the specialized wheelchair vehicle will always be a momentous occasion. No more having to rely on friends or scrambling for money to pay the hospital transfer costs. I swear Bessy seemed to know her way to the carport on the side of our house, because there were many days I drove home exhausted from the nursing academy. I… listen to me ramble on.” She removed her hands from the seat ahead, and leaned back. “Like I said before, the car seems like an old friend.”
“A kindred spirit at last. I’ll admit to feeling the same way about Beauty.” He wiggled his eyebrows in the rear-view mirror, and Leilani fell a little more in love with this man’s gentle spirit.
