Hell's Gift

by Haigwood, K. S.

  When she opened her eyes to me, there was no fear of anything. There was only love and desire and the yearning to spend the rest of eternity with me. That was what I’d been waiting to see.

  She smiled, and in the next instant her fingers were in my hair, pulling me back to her lips again and again; giggles escaped her lips each time the kiss broke. I quickly caught up with her pace and immediately turned the tables on her. She would not be in control and turn this into a game as if I were one of her sex puppets.

  Long locks of dark-brown hair wove its way around my fingers as they dug deeper and twisted in her thick mane. The sharp edge of her jaw was begging for the tender touch of my lips and I surrendered to its silent plea. I had a feeling there would be several different parts of her body begging for me to kiss, touch and lick, and I had a feeling I was going to be doing a lot of surrendering in the future.

  Her body relaxed in my hands and a soft moan escaped from her throat.

  “I’ve waited so long to have this feeling again. I’ve searched for it for centuries, but no one else can make me feel the way you make me feel, Rhyan.”

  My mouth had made it to her collarbone and that hideous, black satin reaper’s cape. I froze. Evidently, what I was doing wasn’t quite right, or how disappointing her other lovers had been in bed wouldn’t have entered her mind. I had to admit going over three-hundred years with absolutely no practice could make anyone a bit rusty. But I wanted to be the only male in her head at the moment.

  “Abbi,” I whispered gruffly, trying to kick my way back to the surface of the Sea of Desire so I could catch my breath and, with it, my sanity.

  “Yes, Rhyan,” she said, just as breathless.

  “I’d really appreciate it if I was the only male here with you now.”

  Her eyes shot open and a horrified and embarrassed expression covered her face. “Rhyan, I’m so sorry.”

  She tried to cover her mouth with her hands, but my lips got there first. I didn’t give her any more time to think about anything except me, and the feelings I was giving her.

  Chapter 22

  I wanted to pull and rip the material from her body, press her firmly against the solid wood headboard and release over three centuries of sexual frustration within her heated and throbbing core. And I would do that, eventually, but now wasn’t the time; there would definitely be other times. I was sure of that now.

  Every memory I’d ever had with Abbi was back full force. I remembered every beautiful inch and every sweet taste of her body. And now I had an eternity to kiss her, hold her, make love to her, and just be with her. I had finally found my happiness again, and this time I wouldn’t let anything take it from me.

  I kissed my wife slowly, deeply, taking precious time with her and listening intently to the all too familiar husky sounds of passion escaping her soft lips.

  I drew back and watched as her lashes fluttered and knew I had succeeded in erasing every other male from her mind.

  Good. Now we could have some fun.

  “You’re mine, Abbi. I’m going to take you now.” Still soft, so tender, my lips brushed over the velvet skin of her eyelid, then the tip of her nose, her cheekbone, then they devoured her mouth just as a low moan slipped through.

  I found the thick satin cord and tugged until the bow was free and dangling in two long strings down the length of the cape. “Where we are going, you won’t be needing this.”

  She smiled. “And just where are you taking me?”

  I leaned in and kissed her cheek gently, then whispered in her ear, “I thought I would give you a little taste of what Heaven feels like.” She threw her head back in instant approval and desire, and the cape parted and fell from her shoulders. I flung it aimlessly across the room toward the chair I had been tied to only hours before.

  I quickly noticed and approved of the simple white cotton gown she’d dressed herself in under the black satin cloak. It wasn’t meant to look sexy the way some undergarments were intended to look, but the only other thing I would have preferred her in was, well, nothing…and I was hoping to see her in that next.

  I was staring in awe at her perfect, curvy body, taking in the sight and letting the memories flood the fore-front of my mind: her legs locked around my waist, her soft heat surrounding my sex, her lips on my skin—I was about to lose it.

  “Malcolm, go away!” I shouted in my mind, but the angel didn’t answer. A low growl escaped from deep within my chest.

  “I’m sorry…” Abbi covered the fabric as much she could with her arms and hands before I realized what she had done.

  I shook my head quickly, trying to understand what was wrong, what she could possibly have to be sorry about.

  She had one foot on the floor and was headed for the cape when I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to my body. “Please tell me that you weren’t leaving me and this bed because you are ashamed by what you’re wearing—”

  She dropped her head and the tears began to fall. “I had no hopes you would ever want to look at me again, Rhyan. I would have dressed more appropriately for the occasion, had I known.”

  “Christ!” I shouted, and rubbed at my eyes with my finger and thumb. “Are you serious?” I said more calmly, then cupped her chin firmly in my hands and forced her to look at me. “Look at me, Abbi,” I said when she averted her eyes. She complied, but the tears continued to flow. I sighed. “I love the gown. I was only trying to wrap my mind around how beautiful you are…and how lucky I am to have finally found you again. Intimate memories of us being together flooded my mind and I thought Malcolm was watching us now and had placed them there. Turns out it was all me and I was having a hard,” I cleared my throat, “um, difficult time controlling my imagination.” She looked up at me, hopeful, then smiled through her unshed tears. I grinned impishly. “And I was trying to think of the best way to get you out of that gown.”

  She surprised me by quickly kissing my lips, smiled, then raised the garment over her head and flung it to the floor. “Is that way good enough?” she asked with a smirk playing across her face.

  I nodded slowly as I gazed at her naked body. The sheet around my waist was the only thing keeping the inevitable from happening, because she hadn’t bothered with any other undergarments.

  I reached out to her, my fingers diving, and then fisting in her hair, and crushed her mouth to mine. My hands traveled down and over the silky skin of her neck and shoulders; the tips of my fingers tickled lightly over her shoulder-blades and down her back, giving generously as much pleasure as I took.

  Her body shivered and responded to every touch.

  A murmur of astonishment and yearning whimpered from her throat as I kissed her mouth again.

  Laughter bubbled from my own throat when she squealed as I scooped her up in my arms. I laid her head gently on the pillows, then briefly covered her mouth once more as I laid atop her, gently holding most of my weight off her body.

  Abbi’s hands on my arms and stomach and back were sweet, experienced torture. I kissed over her face, then down her neck, forcing myself to keep it slow and not rush to her perfect, firm, ample breasts and taut peaks that seemed to be calling, beckoning, pleading for me to caress them.

  “Touch me, Rhyan,” she cried out, “you’re driving me insane.”

  The mischievous grin on my face made her laugh, then she slapped at my shoulder playfully.

  “That’s exactly what you’re trying to do, isn’t it?”

  I chuckled lightly, then ran my hand slowly up her torso until my palm and fingers shaped and molded her right breast. Her breath caught in her throat and my smile grew. “Well, it’s what I was trying for, but I think I’ll be earning the straightjacket before you. The genius plan is sort of backfiring on me.”

  Abbi was about to speak when I gave into us both and took her hardened nipple in my mouth. I teased it with my tongue and grazed my teeth over the silky skin, nibbling lightly. I remembered exactly how she liked to be touched, and from the sounds
she was making, she thought I remembered it well.

  Her heavy moans excited me even more and I cupped her other breast and kissed my way to the other rose-colored peak. I took it between my lips and suckled it in and out of my mouth quickly. She writhed under me and grabbed my arms, desperately trying to pull me closer to her.

  I didn’t budge. I was in control and that brought a smile to my face.

  I flicked the dark-pink bud with my tongue, then blew breath upon it and watched as it hardened even more. Abbi’s back arched like a bow and I took her left peak in my mouth while softly kneading her other breast. Her movements beneath me were exhilarating and shameless. I rode the rocky waves as she screamed out my name and her body quaked with the first of many orgasms.

  I admired her damp body in the dim lighting of the room and the rise and fall of her chest as she scrambled to get control of her breathing. I didn’t want her to get complete control.

  An impatient groan of my own had me touching her again. My own endurance was failing. I had to have her soon. I hadn’t been lying when I’d told her I was straightjacket bound. She was driving me crazy with the noises she was making.

  I captured her mouth hungrily, my tongue seeking a dance. Her arms wrapped around my neck and drank me in. My hand snaked down her body slowly, searching, questing to please her again before I gave into my own urges. Her hips jerked violently toward my hand when my fingers discovered her wet folds and swollen button. Two of my fingers slipped into her and instantly found her sweet spot.

  “Rhyan!” she screamed, her voice hoarse from heavy breathing, moaning and demanding that I give her more. Just a little more. Her body bucked against my palm and I could feel her muscles tightening around my fingers from another sweet climax.

  I’m not going to make it.

  Doing a whole lot of heavy breathing of my own, I removed my hand and ripped the satin sheet from my waist.

  I looked to Abbi’s hungry eyes and knew she had to be satiated, but she appeared famished.

  “Take me. I am yours, Rhyan, ever and always.”

  I fell helplessly between her thighs and she welcomed me with awaiting arms and legs wrapping around my body, encouraging me to give into my urge and please myself.

  My breath was raging in and out of my lungs. “That’s what you’ve been wanting? Well, why didn’t you just say so?” I said with a smile.

  I might have been a little rusty to start, but it had all come rushing back to me. There was a small bead of moisture on the tip of my arousal and Abbi squirmed and urged me to keep going when I ran it slowly through the folds of her soft heat.

  She sighed long and slow. “Stop teasing me, Rhyan. I need to feel you inside me like I need air to breathe. Take me. Make me yours,” she pleaded.

  I didn’t need any more encouragement. I slipped into her slowly, but only a little. The feel of her soft, warm, wet core inviting me in even further was sweet torture.

  A moan escaped Abbi’s beautiful mouth and I looked up in alarm. “Are you alright?” I asked in a panic.

  She giggled. “I will be alright once you make love to me, Rhyan.” She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me to her, taking all of my length and width at once.

  We both screamed out as the pain, pleasure and overwhelming desire consumed us.

  I wanted to make sure she was all right, but her moans grew louder and she began to move her hips in a familiar rhythm beneath me. I was lost to her.

  It didn’t take me long to match her rhythm and pick up the pace. She met each of my thrusts with a growing need. She pushed against me as I pounded into her. I could tell she was about to reach her peak and I was racing to enjoy the release immediately after.

  “Look at me, Abbi,” I demanded, “Look into my eyes. I want you to see that I am the one who gives you this pleasure. Now come, baby.”

  I gave three more hard thrusts and felt her tight muscles pulsate around my shaft. A violent scream left her throat as the pleasure ripped through her body. I didn’t slow down, look away or allow myself a release until I knew for a fact she had reached the top of her climax and was falling into oblivion.

  Her nails retracted from my flesh and her body began to relax in my arms, and only then—then did I release my own repressed, much needed, much deserved explosion.

  An involuntary scream tore from my throat as I pounded my aggression, my saneness, my spasming erection into her slick heat. And even though I knew she was finished, she was still meeting every thrust to help make my experience that much better.

  “Abbi…” Every muscle in my body tensed at once, my toes curled, my heart pounded a rhythm against my ribcage, loud and thunderous to my ears. Every nerve in my body was alive and alert. I felt like the orgasm was never going to end, but I was extremely okay with that. I craved for it to go on forever, but knew it wasn’t possible. I gave one last push into her and felt my body shatter into a million pieces. I could have ceased to exist in that moment and been a happy man.

  My limbs were totally useless. I was mentally as well as physically spent, but I didn’t want to collapse on top of her, so I took her in my arms and rolled so she was lying on top of me. I kissed her neck then pulled the satin sheet across our bodies, settling in to hold her for a long while.

  “Promise me something,” I said when I was able to draw a steady breath.

  “Anything,” she said sleepily.

  “No.” I took her chin and tilted her face up to me. “Promise me that, when we get your soul back, you will join me in Heaven. I must hear you promise that to me, Abbi,” I said and waited. I knew she had said she would try, but that wasn’t at all good enough for me. I would not lose her, and I needed her to know how serious I was about fighting for her. Her eyes had clouded over and I could see her closing in on herself. I knew she hadn’t ever thought we would win the battle against Lucifer. “Say it, Abbi. I swear to you that I will not stop until you are safely out of here, but I can’t do my part if you won’t do yours. I need to know you love me that much, that you won’t give up on me again, that you won’t give up on us again. I’d go through Hell a thousand times for you as long as you never give up on me. I won’t allow him to win, but you have got to be on my side—”

  “I swear it!” she shouted to shut me up, then she smiled before raising up and kissing my lips softly. “I promise not to give up again,” she said in a softer tone. “I will ask forgiveness and go to Heaven with you, Rhyan. I promise.”

  I drew in a deep breath, then let it slowly seep out. “Thank you.” The feeling was amazing. I was finally convinced my luck was changing for the better. We’d found our Heaven.

  The clearing of a throat alerted us and we both shot upright. I risked a glance at Abbi when the tall dark male only stared at her with a blank expression. Her face was a mask of horror and she was ghost-white pale. Her breath trembled, her body shook and she fisted the sheet up around her neck in an attempt to hide her nakedness.

  “I’m dying to hear how you plan to do that, sweetheart,” Lucifer said calmly, then let the corner of his lip curve up in a sneer.

  The instant I realized who had interrupted us, I grabbed Abbi and attempted to pull her behind me.

  Muddled shock and confusion filled my head as she was suddenly jerked from my grasp and I was flung across the room like a rag doll after playtime was over. The breath was knocked from my lungs as my back slammed into the rock mantel above the fireplace. I didn’t even recall hitting the floor, but that is where I was lying when my eyes flew open and my first gasping breath was drawn.

  My vision was distorted, and I was seeing two of Lucifer as he held my Abbi threateningly in his arms.

  He kissed her temple as he glared at me.

  “Get up, you fool, and defend her!” Lucifer shouted at me as I staggered to my feet.

  “Holy crap, Rhyan! You were supposed to yell at me when you needed help. How’d you get yourself into this mess?” Malcolm said in my head, but I ignored him. I couldn’t concentrate on Lucif
er’s massive arm around Abbi’s neck and have a mental conversation with my guardian angel at the same time. My brain was still bouncing around my skull like a marble in a pinball machine.

  “Rhyan, get out of—” Abbi started, but her words choked off in a gurgling, immediate end.

  “Either help me or get out of my head, Malcolm. How do I get her away from him?”

  “Let her free, demon!” I demanded through a clenched jaw. “She is my wife, and she is leaving with me.”

  I shook my head and stumbled toward them like a drunken Irishman at a Guinness festival. He would not hurt her. I couldn’t let him hurt her. I had promised I would never let him hurt her again.

  “I don’t know, Rhyan. I hadn’t planned for you to run into him so soon. Offer him a deal. Lucifer never backs away from a gamble.”

  “What kind of deal?” I asked, confused.

  Lucifer’s laugh was wicked and unnerving as I stumbled into a small table that had been placed at the end of the plush couch. I clumsily righted the piece of furniture, then looked up to see his hand gestured toward me and his attention focused on Abbi. “If I’d only known this was what you were dispirited about when you entered my home over three centuries ago, I would have just left you to suffer in your misery. Yet, I took a liking to you and erased your past.” She didn’t try to respond. “He is weak, Abigail! Can’t you see that? He is no match for me, and you know I will not let you go.”

  “I don’t know. Um…” Malcolm started, but I knew exactly what I needed to do to keep my promise to Abbi.

  “Would you let her go if I won her soul in a fair game?” I asked Lucifer.

  He turned from her to glare at me, but there was something in his eyes that led me to believe he wanted me to continue.

  “Rhyan, what are you doing?” Malcolm asked, but I ignored him. I’m sure he could read plainly in my thoughts what I was about to do.

  “Don’t hurt her. Don’t touch her—”

  “You want to challenge me in a battle? I don’t see how that could ever be fair on your part, but I accept.”