An Archangel's Promise

by Jess Buffett

“What if we don’t work out? What if I lose you?” She felt sick just thinking about it.

  Cupping her face with his hands, he kissed her lightly, almost lovingly. “You will never lose me. I promise.”

  From the corner of her eye she suddenly noticed the time on the clock beside her bed, and she smiled. “Happy birthday, Hunter.”

  The grin he gave her made her shiver with want. “I finally caught up to you. So, do you trust me?”

  Taking a chance, because Hunter had never broken a promise to her, she kissed him. A tingle raced up her spine, and she gasped at the sensations bombarding her. His strong hands clamped firmly down on her waist and he lifted her up into his arms. Hunter carried her to the bed, and Gabriella let out a cry as he dropped her onto the mattress, quickly following her down to cover her body with his own.

  “Hunter,” she panted as he began tugging at her clothing. She joined him in the heated frenzy, desperate to feel every inch of him pressed against her.

  When they were both naked, Hunter leaned back, his gaze raking over her felt like the softest caress. The hunger in his eyes made her feel beautiful. His hands slowly traced every nuance of her skin, all the dips and crevices, until she felt she would pass out from the pleasure.

  Hunter pulled back again, and she whimpered. “Where are y—”

  She paused when she saw he had grabbed his jeans and was now holding a condom, a nervous smile on his lips. At her raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “I told you I love you. I figured if I ever worked up the courage to tell you and you felt the same…well, I wanted to be prepared.”

  God, he was amazing.

  “Come here,” she whispered, opening up her arms. “I love you too. Make me yours.”

  A rakish grin splayed across his face. “Oh, Gabby. You always have been.”

  His words, so certain, inflamed her desire for him, making it burn higher, hotter. She squirmed as he slipped a finger into her untried heat. She was so wet, so ready for him. Hunter gently pumped the digit, allowing her muscles to stretch. He followed it with another as his thumb strummed against her clit. Gabriella’s eyes closed as she allowed the overwhelming sensations to consume her. When he pulled his fingers out, she cried at the loss. The sudden nudging of something thicker, longer, at her entrance had her breath speeding up.

  This is it.

  Hunter parted her folds, pushing just the head of his cock into her pussy. Gabriella struggled to breathe as he continued to slide his cock further into her, his unyielding hands on her hips holding her steady. Her walls protested slightly at the pressure, and she forced herself to relax. When he reached her hymen, he paused, sweat dripping from his forehead. She could tell it took everything he had to go slow, to be careful, and she loved him all the more for that.

  “I’m sorry, Gabby. I can’t stop this from hurting.” Hunter’s voice was ragged and hoarse.

  “I know,” she reassured him. “Just do it. I trust you.”

  And she did. More than anything.

  Taking her at her word, Hunter thrust forward. Gabriella clamped her lips shut, refusing to cry out even though it stung and burned. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall as she gently moved her hips. Hunter began to move, his hips pumping in and out. Soon the pain ebbed, morphing into spirals of pleasure, until she was drunk on desire.

  “Oh, fuck. Gabby. So good. Can’t stop. Oh, Christ,” he babbled as he thrust rapidly inside her.

  Gabriella met him thrust for thrust as they sped up, both of them desperately reaching for that peak. Gabriella moaned loudly, the fear of her parents discovering them only a distant thought in the back of her mind. All she could focus on was the ecstasy she felt at having Hunter deep inside her.

  “Hunter. Yes, oh yes. Just there,” she whimpered when he pressed a hand between them, seeking out her sensitive sweet spot.

  When his fingers parted her flesh to find her clit, her pussy was slick with her desires. Wiggling, she tried to get him to put more pressure on it. She had touched herself there before, but it had never felt as good as now. She clung to him, her arms clasped tightly around his neck and her legs anchored around his waist. The fingers of his other hand kneaded the flesh of her hips.

  “Please, Hunter. Faster. I need you.”

  “Say it again,” he demanded, holding her tight against him. “Tell me you love me. Tell me you’re mine.”

  “Oh God, yes,” she replied breathlessly. “I love you. I’m yours.” She trembled in his arms.

  He had never sounded so possessive, so animalistic. She was loving it.

  Overcome with desire, she looked up at him. “I’m there. Hunter, I’m there.” She was on the edge, so close that she was almost ready to teeter over, but she needed him with her. Had to have him with her.

  Lifting his head, Hunter kissed her again. “Mine,” he snarled as he pushed into her pussy deeper and shuddered as he came.

  His kiss captured her scream as she climaxed, shuddering beneath him. Gabriella floated on a cloud of bliss, absorbing the reality of what they had just done. Not one part of her regretted it—she could never regret her Hunter.

  Gabriella had no idea how long they lay there, their bodies tangled. As the hour grew even later, or earlier really, Hunter let out a deep sigh. “I have to go.”

  “I know,” she whispered, not wanting to let him, but knowing she had to.

  The kiss he gave her, so subtle and sweet, was exquisite. “I’ll be here tomorrow around five o’clock to pick you up,” he promised.

  She smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”

  As he snuck out of her window, careful not to disturb the rest of the household, Gabriella waved goodbye. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow. After the formal they would celebrate his birthday as per her wishes, because…well, he had never been very good at saying no to her. With a smile on her lips, Gabriella drifted off to sleep thinking everything was perfect.

  * * * *

  Gabriella woke the next morning, unable to contain her smile. The night before with Hunter had been magical.

  Leaving the cocoon of her bed, she took two stairs at a time, practically dancing into the kitchen. Her brother Nolan had already found his spot at the kitchen table, holding his coffee cup like it was the Holy Grail. She grabbed a mug and poured herself some.

  “What’s got you so chipper?” Nolan asked.

  Peering over the rim of her cup, she shrugged. “Just excited about tonight.”

  Nolan looked suspiciously at her. “You’re that worked up over a formal? It wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain boy I saw sneaking out of your room late last night, would it?”

  Choking on her drink, it took a moment for her to answer. “Um, what?” she squeaked. She felt her face flush and wanted to smack herself in the head.

  Nolan chuckled. “Don’t sweat it. I promise I won’t tell Mum or Dad. Besides, we’ve all been waiting for you two to get your act together.”

  Gabriella gaped. “You have?”

  “Yes.” Nolan sighed, rolling his eyes. “Now hurry up. Mum has a full day planned for you.”

  She groaned, her shoulders slumping. As her mother’s only daughter, Gabriella had a feeling her Mum had been waiting for this day longer than she had.

  “Probably best not to tell Dad about you two yet, anyway.” Nolan grinned. “Because he’d likely shoot him first, and then ask when he planned on marrying you.”

  Gabriella glared at her brother, who laughed, though he had a point. Their father was a senior sergeant with the police force and knew how to use a gun.

  Thankfully, when her parents walked into the room, her brother kept his word and didn’t say anything.

  “Busy day today. Hope you got plenty of rest last night,” her mother chirped as she began breakfast.

  Nolan sniggered, and Gabriella kicked him under the table. “Yep. Ready to go.”

  “Excellent.” Her mother cracked some eggs into a pan. “Did you need me to take you to get Hunter’s birthday present?”


  Gabriella smiled. “Nope. I picked it up yesterday.”

  She thought of the small pouch she had sitting in her top drawer. Originally, the silver ring had been simply for friendship, but after last night she felt like it stood for more now. On the inside of the band, she’d engraved one simple, and very meaningful, word. Whenever people asked how long they had been friends, they would always reply with that one word—eternity.

  The sound of the phone drew her attention. Her father’s strong, stern voice echoed through the room. “When? Yes, I do know the family. I’ll be right there.”

  Hanging up the phone, her father didn’t turn around immediately, and Gabriella grew concerned. “Dad?”

  When he finally faced her, the look of dread had her stomach plummeting. “Sweetheart. There has been an incident.” He swiped a hand down his face. “Something has happened at Hunter’s house.”

  Fear and panic raced through her. Something was horribly wrong; she could feel it.

  Shoving back from the table, Gabriella bolted to the front door. Not even stopping for shoes, she threw open the screen and ran as fast as she could. Hunter lived only a few streets away. Cutting through the side way, mud and dirt caked her bare feet, small, sharp pebbles cutting into her soles, but she ignored the pain and pushed on.

  Nerves spiked through her, and her heart beat frantically when she turned into Hunter’s street and saw police tape surrounding the small townhouse.

  Oh God.

  Stumbling to a stop, Gabriella barely acknowledged her parents as they pulled up beside her seconds later. Her mother rushed from the car and dragged Gabriella into her arms. Her father stepped out of the vehicle, throwing her a concerned look, and approached the nearest man in uniform. “What do you know?”

  “Sergeant Richards.” The officer nodded in recognition. “We’re still not exactly sure what happened, sir. All we can say for certain is that neighbors heard a disturbance in the early hours of the morning. When the first team arrived, they found some strange scorch marks in one of the rooms and signs of a struggle.”

  Her father’s gaze narrowed. “What do you mean ‘scorch marks’? You mean the room caught on fire?”

  The other man grimaced. “No, that’s the weird part. There were scorch marks in certain areas of the room, but nothing that suggested a fire had started. There was a fair amount of debris scattered throughout the place, and no one was home.”

  “Were they hurt? Does anyone know where they are?” Gabriella sobbed, holding tightly to her mother.

  The constable gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, but no one can find Mr. or Mrs. Downer, or their foster son, Hunter Bailey. They’re missing, and we don’t like our chances of finding them in one piece if the mess they left behind is any indication.”

  Finding it hard to breathe, Gabriella dropped to her knees. Everything around her began to spin, and before she knew it, darkness was closing in. Darkness she welcomed, because she suddenly felt like her soul was being ripped in two.

  Chapter 2

  Present Day…

  Gabriella was frantic. Not only had she had to do a last minute scramble to fit more people onto the guest list, but there had to be alterations made to the menu due to allergies. And now there were complaints that some of the wines weren’t the right year. Her brother, Nolan, owed her big time for this. He had asked her to organize his company’s annual fundraising gala, the event of the year, and she’d reluctantly said yes. Gabriella loved her brother dearly, but had only agreed to it because it would have looked extremely bad for both of them had Nolan not gotten his sister—one of the biggest event planners in the city—to cater the event.

  “Gabriella,” Nolan called out to her.

  Damn. She had been hoping to make it to the bar for a drink before someone spotted her.

  Turning, she plastered on the biggest fake smile she could muster. “Hey, big brother. Is something wrong?”

  Please, God, don’t let anything be wrong.

  Stopping in front of her, Nolan laughed. “No, I was just going to say how wonderful things are. You are such a gem, doing all those last minute things for me.”

  “It was no problem.” Which was, of course, a lie.

  Just getting the rooftop restaurant had been a struggle. When her brother and his colleagues had insisted on hiring out the observation deck on the floor below, it had taken everything she had to get it done. It had only been due to the fact that Gabriella owned one of the top-floor apartments in the building, and had brought a lot of high-end business their way in the past, that the management had agreed. She hadn’t been certain the new owners of the tower would agree, having never met them before, but as luck would have it, they were happy to accommodate her. After all the hassles, she was surprised she had survived with her sanity intact.

  “And I have to say, you look great,” Nolan said.

  She probably would have been more thrilled with the compliment had he not sounded so shocked. Granted, Gabriella usually didn’t put much effort into her appearance, but when she worked, she worked it. Tonight she had her long hair twisted to the side in a simple bohemian braid and was wearing a sleeveless, emerald cocktail dress. The dress was one of her favorites, with a plunging neckline and ruched chiffon details. She loved wearing the color because it enhanced her eyes, making their emerald coloring shine brighter. She’d topped it off with a killer pair of diamante covered four-inch stilettos.

  “Do you have to sound so surprised?” She raised an eyebrow.

  Nolan’s response was to mimic the move. She sighed, knowing he was right. Once upon a time she would have never left the house without a certain amount of preparation, but that was when she had someone to dress up for. Now, Gabriella only dressed up for work, needing the clients to see her a certain way. Event planning was all about glam, and while she loved the thrill of a deadline, of planning a memorable event, and loved the outcome, outside of work her passion for most things had died years ago. Along with the young girl who still believed the boy she loved was alive and would come back to her.

  Nolan wrapped an arm around her, tilting his head to her outfit. “You should dress up more often, sis. It might help you meet someone.”

  “Nolan.” It was a warning for him to stop.

  “Yeah, I know.” He sighed, frowning. “I just don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you missed out on your life because you were too busy looking at the past.”

  She knew he worried about her, but she could never properly explain how she felt. “I get what you’re saying, I do, but…”

  “But part of you still thinks he’ll come back,” he finished for her. The look of pity on his face was like a knife in the stomach.

  Yes. That was exactly it, and no matter how crazy it sounded, she couldn’t squash the feeling that she was supposed to wait for him. What she would do if he actually turned up, she had no idea.

  Shrugging, because it was the only response she could give Nolan, she saw the moment he gave up.

  “Okay, well, at least stop flitting around and enjoy the party. There’s nothing else to be done, and you’re giving me a headache.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” She laughed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun.

  “Of course I am.” Nolan grabbed a glass of champagne from the waiter and held it out to her. “Now, drink up.”

  Taking the offered drink, Gabriella forced herself to relax. Nolan was right, not that she felt it wise to share that information. Her brother would run with it for months. Scanning the crowd, she smiled when she saw everyone enjoying themselves. She had been working herself up for nothing. All the guests had a place to sit and a meal to eat. Who cared if the wine wasn’t a preferred year, as long as no one needed an EpiPen.

  People started to gather in the center of the ballroom, the soft sway of the music encouraging them to grab a partner. Seeing the couples dancing and enjoying themselves tugged at her heart. She wished she had someone to share moments like this with, someon
e to hold her, to dance and laugh with, but it just wasn’t possible. Ten years after the disappearance of the only person she had ever loved, and Gabriella still couldn’t bring herself to move on.

  Maybe that was her problem tonight. She was so frazzled because today marked the tenth anniversary of the day she’d arrived at Hunter’s home to find the police instead. This date was always a challenge for her, but this year seemed to be worse than all the rest. Her dreams of him were no longer simply at night, they were in the day now too. Just the other day she could have sworn she saw him standing across the street from her at the markets, staring at her. That in general wasn’t unusual, there had been plenty of times after Hunter disappeared when someone had reminded her of him. As it always happened though, the closer she had gotten, the more the person paled in comparison to the boy she’d lost. What concerned her more lately was that her mind was so twisted that it had decided to age him. The visions of him were now of a man in his late twenties, instead of the boy she remembered.

  Gabriella knew it wasn’t healthy, but no amount of therapy seemed to help. Her only saving grace was that while her personal life might be non-existent, her professional life excelled.

  Smiling as people greeted her, she moved closer to the dance floor when something on the other side of the room caught her eye. The vision before her made her gasp, shocking her enough to drop her glass. Looking down at the mess she had made, she quickly glanced up, desperate to know if what she had seen was real.

  Disappointment welled inside of her when she saw an empty space.

  “Gabriella. Are you all right? What happened?” Nolan rushed to her side, placing a hand on her arm. “You’re as white as a ghost. What’s wrong?”

  She blinked rapidly, her eyes focusing on the empty space. “I-I thought, I…”

  “What?”

  There was no way she was finishing that sentence. Her brother already worried about her enough, and if he knew she was seeing things, then he’d be insufferable. “Nothing, Nolan. It doesn’t matter. Let’s clean up this mess I made, and hopefully by the end of the night, everyone will have forgotten about the little scene I just made.”