Her Fallen Protector

by Nichole Severn

  He quirked his head to one side, arrowed his inquisitive gaze at her. “Is that an invitation to move in together?”

  She pressed her lips to his, tracing her tongue along his lower lip before pulling away. “More of a demand.”

  “Then I accept.”

  …

  Stepping through her front door, she nearly collapsed in relief.

  Her apartment looked just as she’d left it, aside from the new door her super had installed—furniture overturned, belongings scattered. Sunlight streamed through the bare windows as her air conditioning kicked on overhead. Closing her eyes, she took in the silence of her surroundings and enjoyed the cool breeze shooting down through the vents.

  What felt like mere hours ago, she’d controlled an army of the dead and held the power to destroy the world. Instead, she’d brought down a century-old cathedral and defeated the Devil himself. The memories of the past six days held her in place. Her limbs grew heavy with exhaustion. Her wound ached slightly, but her heart had been completely repaired. Not by her transformation, but by him. Made whole. And nothing sounded better than never leaving home again.

  She opened her eyes as a pair of footsteps echoed behind her, and saw the chaos once again in her home. “Maybe we should move to your apartment. Too many bad memories here.” She turned to the comforting body only inches away, saw him smile. “Is it really over?”

  Jacob wrapped one arm around her waist, using his free hand to push several strands of black hair out of her face. She’d have to get used to that. Warmth radiated off his body and she quivered with pleasure. Would his effect on her last? It’d already lasted two lifetimes, so probably.

  He stared down at her, melting the disbelief and tension out of her completely. He’d always affected her. Couldn’t change that. Not with their bond.

  “The Deceiver will return with another army and a new plan,” he said, a sad smile pulling at one corner of his mouth. “But as we’re both mortal now, we won’t be a part of the coming fight. Sorren will make sure of it.”

  “Mmmm,” she said into his chest. “Shouldn’t we get those burns looked at?”

  “They’ll heal. It’ll just take longer than I’m used to.” He placed a finger under her chin so she’d look at him directly. “We’ll never have to fight again and I’ll never let you go. You have my word.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” Vdarra pressed her lips against his. The tingling spread outward into her arms, legs, fingers, and toes. Wrapping her arms around his back, she deepened their connection, her tongue exploring him in a new way. Without the pressure of demonic, angelic, perilous, or deathly influences hanging over them, they relaxed into one another, enjoying, exploring.

  His muscles beneath her fingertips flexed in all the right places as he encircled her in his arms. Fisting his T-shirt in her hands, she stepped backwards, brought him with her without breaking their kiss. As her thighs hit the edge of her couch, she brushed her tongue across his bottom lip, but pulled back.

  With a feverish gaze, he smiled down at her in earnest. “Stopping so soon?”

  She sat on the arm of the couch. “I just can’t believe we’re here. After everything—”

  “Now isn’t the time to relive old memories. Right now”—he wrenched her up to stand in front of him—“I want to make new ones. I want to enjoy you without guilt or fear. I want to show you what you’ve been missing all these years.”

  A chuckle escaped her lips. She studied the hunger in his eyes, and her insides twisted. “What I’ve been missing?”

  “This.” He pressed his hips into hers. Tracing his fingertips up her forearm and to the side of her neck, he leaned in closer. With just a kiss below her right earlobe, he unearthed the desire she’d tried fighting all this time. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she could need him more than ever. Where her power had simmered and boiled in her body, arousal now roamed free. The prickling sensation building with his every movement against her only set her skin on fire, and she dug her fingernails into his shoulder.

  “I’ll never let you forget.”

  “Sounds perfect,” she said.

  “Perfect would be the two of us showering off our jet lag.” His hand wandered to her waist, then to her bottom before taking her hand and leading her toward the bedroom. “Besides, I need to have a look at that wound.”

  Nervous butterflies blossomed in her stomach as they sped past the bed and into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind them, he took up most of the space in the small room, but didn’t intrude or threaten. He kept his attention locked on her as he turned on the water.

  “No lies. No demons, angels, or rings of power. It’s just us.” He straightened.

  Her breath hitched as the playfulness in his expression turned hungry.

  As the butterflies dissipated, she kicked off her boots, followed by her socks. Slowly, she drew her shirt over her head. A satin steam wafted from the shower over her skin. Combined with the weight of his assessing stare, her body tingled in anticipation. She moved to unbutton her pants, but he caught her hands first.

  “Please,” he said. “Let me.”

  Her skin sizzled as his fingertips brushed against her, hooked his fingers under her waistband and pulled downward. She wanted nothing more than to remember this moment forever. She closed her eyes in a silent prayer of gratitude.

  Taking her hand, he brought her back to him. “You still with me?”

  “Completely.”

  He dropped his hold on her. In swift movements, he removed his clothing, baring himself to her entirely. She studied him with her gaze at first, barely able to hold herself back. The strong planes of his chest and abs beckoned her to the point it hurt to stay away. Slowly, she reached for him, tracing her fingertips over his wounded shoulder. She ventured further, memorizing everything she could about him; the feel of his bronzed skin, the puckered white lines of scar tissue on his left pectoral above his heart. With every muscle she grazed, goose bumps prickled along his skin and he shivered.

  Without warning, he pulled her against him.

  “You’re killing me.” His heavy-lidded eyes locked on her. Skin-to-skin, they fit together perfectly, two pieces of the same puzzle. His hands ventured down, one wrapping around her waist, avoiding her partially healed wound, the other cupping her breast.

  She moaned, needed him to touch her. Swiping his thumb across her nipple, he raised the sensitive skin to a peak. She gasped.

  His mouth sealed over her breast. His slick tongue teased her over and over as moisture gathered between her legs. Digging the tips of her fingers into his shoulders, she tried to keep herself upright when her body threatened to collapse in a heap of flesh. Pinching her free nipple between his thumb and index finger, he nearly brought her over the edge with his tongue alone.

  Their gazes connected, the hunger evident in those depths. He released her long enough to speak and her body screamed for his return. “I want to do that with every inch of your body.”

  She couldn’t speak, every nerve on fire, and nodded.

  He parted the shower curtain quickly then turned back and hoisted her over the tub’s edge. The warm water cascaded down her already heated skin, heightening her awareness of her own body even further and washing the tiredness away. Her wound stung for just a moment, but without so much as a breather, he pressed her against the tiles and claimed her mouth. The conflicting warmth of his mouth and the cold tiles warred for her senses. The assault simmered to a sensual level, no longer an attack, but a caring, easygoing rhythm. His erection pressed against her thigh, demanding attention.

  She gripped him, pulled a pleasurable hiss from his lips. Strong and sure in her hand, he rocked back and forth. He grew harder in her hold. She’d brought him pleasure. She’d made him moan. The power she held in this instant evidenced itself in his features. His satin skin slid easily under her touch with the water’s help, and the ecstasy written across his face dropped her to her knees. He’d given her so much in their
short time together. He deserved to be taken care of for once.

  With wide eyes, he stared down at her. Droplets of water slid down his ridged torso, and she held his gaze as she licked him from base to head. A visible shiver ran throughout his body and she smiled in response. Gradually, she took him into her mouth, reveling in the velvety feel of him against her lips. Her tongue explored him from above and below as she pulled away, then quickly thrust her head forward. Just as he’d teased her nipple, she brought a moan from his throat.

  His shoulders tensed as he cupped his hands on either side of her head, urging her forward and back. Where she’d lost a small amount of control over her movements, she focused more thoroughly on the feel of him in her mouth. A single ridge of vein on the underside of his shaft claimed her tongue’s attention and she adjusted the pressure against it, pressing firmer then releasing. He closed his eyes as his head hit the back of her throat over and over again.

  He pulled her to her feet, grabbed the back of her thigh, and positioned her leg around him, his erection teasing her. “We don’t have protection in here.”

  Guiding him to her opening with a free hand, she exhaled hard. “Is that answer enough for you?”

  He thrust into her, filled her completely, body and soul.

  He paused, presumably waiting for her to adjust to his size, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She finally had him to herself. She rocked against him, arching her back in eagerness. Cupping her bottom with one hand and helping her balance, he thrust harder and deeper each time he moved.

  She couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment, completely surrendering to her senses. The water from the shower made their skin slick, lubricating their movements in all the right places. His labored breathing echoed in her ears and she buried her lips in the crook of his neck. She kissed and nipped along the tense muscle leading from his shoulder to his neck. Warmth built in her abdomen and she shut her eyes in order to clear her mind of everything but him. Strong arms held her upright as he picked up the pace.

  She leaned her head back against the tile, lost in the sensations of pleasure. Sensations she’d craved since their one night stand ran rampant under her skin.

  “Come for me,” he said, his voice gravelly and low.

  The warmth blossomed into heat and exploded throughout her body as her climax erupted.

  He followed her with a groan. His body tensed, and he held her close. He pressed his lips against hers softly. With a brief glance between their bodies, he smiled. “I’m so in love with you, demon.”

  A delirious giggle rushed past her lips. Her life was complete in that moment; memories found, the world saved, mate at her side for as long as they lived. As mortals. She couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

  “And I’ll never forget it.” She pulled him in for one more kiss, sank into him further. “Greece, here we come.”

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  Acknowledgments

  First, I’d like to thank Candace Havens for inviting me into the Entangled family. This whole crazy journey has been worth every step, even if I didn’t know it at the time, and I’ll never forget the day she gave me the greatest chance of my career.

  A huge thank you is given to my editor, Allison Collins. She’s put up with extended deadlines, inconsistencies, and a whole lot of emails from me. Without her, this book would still be crap and I wouldn’t have learned more from her in a year than I have in my entire ten years writing. I’ve never seen such dedication to create a strong, compelling romance from any other editor and I can’t wait to work with her on future projects.

  Lastly, I can’t forget author Siobhan Muir and her husband for helping me plot this book from the very first draft. Thank you.

  About the Author

  Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she spent most days at her grandmother’s house watching X-Men, Married with Children and The Simpsons, Nichole Severn migrated to the Salt Lake City valley to live life as scandalous romance author.

  She graduated with a degree in psychology from Utah Valley University and resides with her very supportive and patient husband, as well as her terrorist of a toddler, in Sandy, Utah. When she’s not writing, she’s constantly injuring herself running, rock climbing, practicing yoga, and snowboarding.

  Nichole can be contacted through her website at www.nicholesevern.com, email at nichole@nicholesevern.com, Twitter at @nicholesevern or Facebook.

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