Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3) (19 page)

His control broke. He slid out almost entirely, then slammed home. Then he did it again, grabbing her wrists in his hands to keep her imprisoned beneath him. With every deep thrust, it was like he broke some fundamental part of her down, molding and reshaping her into something newer and better. Altering the very essence of who she was. Never had she felt anything so elemental before.

This was more than making love. It was a
claiming.

“More. Harder.” She opened her knees to spread herself further for him, silently begging him to mark her in some immutable way. That was when the first waves of her orgasm hit her, tearing a hoarse cry from her mouth and sending energy coursing through her veins. She was filled. She was complete. She was all-powerful.

“Yes.
Yes
.” He screwed his eyes shut as she pulsed around him, squeezing him like a vice. Still he kept on, pounding into her, creating a fierce, driving rhythm that all too quickly had her riding the edge of ecstasy once again.

“Harder. Please!” The bedsprings squealed and the bed shook from the force of his punishing thrusts. On a primal level, she wanted to lie submissively beneath him, to let him show her how completely he could devastate her. But the warring desire to dominate him, to take her pleasure and give it in return, won out. Clamping her knees at his sides, she flipped them around so she was on top, then set about giving him as good as she’d gotten.

“Oh, baby.” Ronin rose up to take one of her breasts in his mouth, sucking hard on the bud before lavishing the same sort of attention on the other one. She undulated against him, taking every last millimeter of him inside her. A heavy sound tore out of his lips. “I don’t know how much longer I can last.”

She didn’t either. Part of her longed to immediately explode again, and to take him with her this time. But another part urged her to ride him harder. Faster. Deeper. To give him an experience he’d never forget, no matter what happened in the future.

She followed her instinct, closing her fingers around the base of his throat, now slickened with sweat. Planting her feet on either side of him, she lifted up until he was almost out, then slid down again, rocking her hips the whole while.

“You’re going to kill me,” he gasped. But this time, she knew it wasn’t literal. And that, more than anything, fed her desire to totally shatter his world, the way he’d done hers. She pounded down onto his hard flesh, now soaked from her moisture. Over and over again, until he grasped her hips and started to furiously piston up into her. The bed frame squeaked under the combined force of their thrusts, but she could barely hear it over the raw, animalistic sounds coming from both their mouths.

So close. So, so close.

One more hard, grinding pump and her climax exploded on her, tearing a ragged scream from her throat. She arched her back and rode out the wave of ecstasy, every single muscle in her body shaking with the force of her release. The bed frame gave one final squeak and broke, sending the mattress crashing to the floor. But she barely noticed it. Beneath her, Ronin tensed, gritting his teeth as he flung his head back. A low cry tore from his mouth with his release, and a torrent of hot liquid spurted deep inside her.

She collapsed on top of him, barely aware of the tears that streamed down her cheeks or the thin layer of sweat covering their bodies. A heavy beat pulsed between her thighs where she was still joined with Ronin. When his cock thumped once inside her, she could do no more than let out a moan.

Amazing how she could be so spent and yet fully re-energized at the same time. But that was how she felt. Too tired to move, yet like she could take on the whole world and win.

Sex with Ronin had been every bit as earth-shattering as she’d expected it would be.

Mind-blowing. Gut-twisting. Soul-wrenching.

Perfect.

And he was
still alive.
Part of her couldn’t believe it, even now. The thought that they could do this countless more times made her whole body tingle.

As if he could read her mind, Ronin let out a low laugh and closed his arms over her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s do that again.”

Chapter Seventeen

Some time later, after Ronin and Amara had sated their appetites, he lay on his side on the bed. Amara faced him. Her long hair trailed down over her body, revealing tantalizing hints of her silky-soft flesh. A satisfied grin graced her lips, and the tip of her finger trailed lazy circles along his chest.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“I feel wonderful.”

She looked it, too. She now had a rosy glow to her face, and her skin practically pulsed with light. Spent as it was, his cock showed signs of reawakening.

Amara had blown him away. He knew sex with her would be amazing. Their one experience from months ago had topped his list, despite the fact that he’d nearly died from it. But
this
...this had been another thing altogether. It went deeper than sex, deeper than satisfying her hunger.

A soul connection.

“How do you feel?” she purred in her sexy voice.

“Like I’ve just had a religious experience.”

She giggled, two bright spots of color reddening her cheeks. After flipping over onto him, she smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “Can I ask you an honest question?”

“Of course.”

Her cheeks flamed even more. “Does my past bother you?”

“Your past?” When she averted her eyes, he got it. Oh, she meant her sexual experience. He certainly couldn’t say that part of her life made him happy. The thought of her with anyone else made him want to track down every single man she’d been with and tear him to pieces.
Huh, guess I’m more territorial than I thought
. But she didn’t bear the blame for that. “Your past is what makes you who you are today, Amara. And I love who you are.”

She smiled, and belatedly he realized how close to her name he’d said the “L” word. A brief moment of panic flared, but she didn’t press him further. Her fingers trailed along the sides of his face. “You have the most beautiful eyes.”

“They’re glamoured.”

“I figured that out already. What do you look like without it?”

“I’ll show you.” He closed his eyes and focused on dropping the glamour. When he reopened them, her sharp intake of breath told him she was seeing his true eye color: a deep, fiery red. A pang of uncertainty made his gut wrench. He’d forgotten she’d never been to Infernum before. She was very much humanized, and his eyes were anything but. What if she hated them? They might very well frighten her into running away.

Much to his surprise, she said, “Amazing. The real color is even more beautiful.”

He yanked her head to him and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that had her squirming against him. When she pulled back, he asked, “Will you show me what you look like without your glamour?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Not too different.”

She dropped her glamour and her skin developed a red-tinged, opalescent glow. Subtle, but there. “Gorgeous.”

From the way her body relaxed into him, he could tell she’d been nervous that he wouldn’t like it. As if that would ever happen. There was nothing about her he didn’t treasure.

Frowning, she asked, “What are we going to do now? About Asmodeus. And my mother.”

Good fucking question. “Keegan is trying to find a way inside the townhouse. Once we can get in, we’re gonna take him down. Fuck the Council and their edicts. If they want to catch this fae helping Asmodeus, they’ll have to do it another way.”

She pushed up on his shoulders. “Won’t you get in trouble for refusing to follow their orders?”

Maybe, but he didn’t care. She wouldn’t want to hear that, though. “They’ll be pissed, but it’ll be fine.”

“Ronin,” she said, doubt lining her face.

“I promise.”

A knock sounded on the door before she could say anything else.

“Everything okay in there?” Cresso called.

Shit, he’d forgotten Cresso had said he’d be back for another blood sample.

Amara slid off him and sat back on her legs to survey the room in dismay. “It’s a mess in here.”

He took a moment to admire the round globes of her breasts, her firm stomach, and the thatch of short, dark curls between her legs. Delicious. And now he was ready to go again.

Cresso knocked again. “Um...guys?”

“Yeah, give us a second.” He rose from the bed and fumbled around for his jeans, finally finding them halfway across the room. While he slipped them on, Amara found her pajama bottoms. Or rather, what was left of them, which wasn’t much.

“Oh, hell,” she whispered.

Stifling a laugh, he said, “Brynn packed a bag of clothes for you. It’s at the foot of the bed.”

She found the bag and rummaged inside, yanking out a soft, purple sweater and a pair of black leggings. Hastily, she dressed, then did her best to put the bedding back in order.

Ronin made his way to the door. Cresso stood on the other side, appearing marginally less exhausted. He broke out into a grin. “Still alive, huh? Most excellent.”

“Did you doubt I would be?” Ronin asked.

“Of course not. Still...good to know I’m right.”

Cresso stepped past him, then stopped short when he saw the mattress and box spring on the floor and the broken pieces of the wooden bed frame surrounding it.

To Ronin’s amazement, his face grew warm. “Uh...we had a bit of an accident.”

Cresso’s lips twitched as he tried to hold back a laugh, but in the end he gave up the fight and let it all out. “I see that.”

He smiled at Amara, who looked like she was praying the floor would open up and swallow her. “Feeling better, I take it?”

“Much better. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Ronin.” Cresso turned to face him, holding up a needle. “Ready to give me some blood?”

Ronin nodded and Cresso walked over to inject the needle into his arm. “The sample I initially tested is still coming back negative for infection, so you’ll have at least half a day between injections.”

“That’s great.” Better than Ronin could’ve ever hoped for.

“I know. I’ve already got the folks back at the Elcorp Laboratory working on duplicating the formula. I should have a hefty supply ready for you to take back with you when you leave.”

“I really appreciate it, man.”

Cresso drew some blood and then straightened. “I’ll let you know if this tests out okay. If so, I’ll be back in an hour for another sample.”

Ronin nodded and placed his hand on Cresso’s shoulder. A rush of gratitude practically overwhelmed him, forcing him to clear his throat. “Thanks, buddy. I could never repay you for all you’ve done.”

Cresso clapped him on the back. “Why don’t we start with a new bed frame?”

When Ronin let out a laugh, Cresso turned and headed for the door. “See you two soon. Oh, and try not to break anything else before I get back.”

He left and Ronin headed straight for Amara, pulling her into his arms. She smiled, and his heart gave a funny skip that let him know he was in serious trouble. The kind he couldn’t get out of.

Mine.
Whether he wanted it or not, his body had claimed her as his. Or maybe they’d claimed each other.

Almost as if she read his mind, her smile dimmed and her eyes grew questioning. “Ronin, if we catch Asmodeus—”

“When,” he interrupted.

“
When
we catch him,” she amended, “what happens then?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. But he couldn’t imagine life without her.

Minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Cresso’s voice rang out. “All clear. Back in an hour.”

Ronin grinned at Amara. “A whole hour to ourselves. What should we do?”

She gave him a naughty smile, the erotic scent of her allure unfolding like a blossom. But then she let out a sigh. “I could use a shower.”

“Hmm...good idea.” Especially since there were so many inventive things one could do in the shower.

Amara lifted a brow. “Why are you leering at me?”

“I’m thinking you could deliver on that promise you made me earlier.”

“What promise?”

He pulled her forward into a kiss, breaking away to murmur, “I said I wanted to taste you, and you said later.”

“Oh.” Her eyelashes lowered to shield her eyes. When she looked back at him, they were alight with mischief. “Race you to the bathroom.”

§

At their New York City apartment, Dagan pored through the research Ronin had compiled on his laptop. He’d been at it for the past twelve hours and he was tired as hell, but he wasn’t about to give up. Not until he found what he sought.

Yesterday he’d gotten a seed of an idea for how to break through the shield protecting Asmodeus’s townhouse. Although he’d thought about telling Keegan and Taeg right away, he didn’t want to look like a fool if he was wrong. Especially since it seemed so simple when he thought of it.

So he’d come back to his apartment and started going through Ronin’s intensive collection of records. Something had been nagging at his memory, something he remembered seeing in passing after they’d first arrived here on Earth. If he was right...

Finally, after close to another hour of searching, he found it. His hands trembled when he read the passage. “Yes.
Yes.
”

He closed the screen and grabbed the laptop, then headed upstairs to speak to Keegan and Taeg. It was the middle of the night, but this couldn’t wait. Thankfully, Taeg and Maya had taken to sleeping over the last couple of weeks so Maya could be on hand to help during Brynn’s late stage of pregnancy.

When a shirtless Keegan answered the door, rubbing his eyes, Dagan motioned to the laptop. “I found something you both need to see.”

Minutes later, he and Taeg joined Keegan in his study.

“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?” Keegan asked.

Dagan placed the laptop on Keegan’s desk and opened it. Keegan and Taeg moved in closer to view the screen. After a long beat of silence, Taeg said, “You woke us up to read poetry?”

“Not just any poetry.
Centuries-old
poetry.” When Keegan and Taeg looked at Dagan like he’d lost it, he pointed to one of the lines. “Here. Read this part.”

“
Whether iron or stone or ether or wood, the sword shall be used to fight only for good,
” Taeg recited. “Uh...pretty?”

Didn’t the assholes get it?

“This is poetry on the Arthurian legend,” Dagan said. “It’s referring to Excalibur. That’s how we get through Asmodeus’s shield.”

Taeg straightened, scratching his chin. “Excalibur only works on tangible objects.”

“Says who?” Dagan retorted.

“The sword is strong, but that doesn’t mean it can dispel magic,” Keegan said.

“It says it can cut through ether.”

“So it can cut through air. Big deal,” Taeg said. “Anything can cut through air.”

“But at the time period when this poem was written, it was common belief that magicians received their powers by communing with the spirits of the dead.
Air spirits
, they called them, and the god of these air spirits was called ‘Aether.’”

Keegan’s brow furrowed as he took a seat in his chair. “You think this means that Excalibur can vanquish spells?”

“I think there’s a good chance.”

“Well, fuck me,” Taeg breathed, sitting down. “I never thought of it this way before, but what was it that made the
Book of the Dead
indestructible?”

Taeg was referring to a supernatural spellbook that Brynn had been bound to. When their father, Mammon, had concocted his plot to take over Earth, he’d planned on using the
Book
—and Brynn—to do it. They’d managed to capture him before he could. Later, Taeg and Maya had found Excalibur, which Keegan had used to destroy the book.

“Was it the type of metal it was made from that made it unbreakable,” Taeg continued, “or was it bespelled that way?”

Keegan’s eyes widened. “Good point. If it was a spell that he used, then it stands to reason that Excalibur will destroy Asmodeus’s shield.”

Taeg grinned. “Which makes it pretty fucking awesome that I know exactly where to find the sword.”

Keegan turned to Dagan. “I have to say, I’m impressed with your research and reasoning on this one.”

Girly as it might be, Dagan felt a punch of delight at Keegan’s words. His eldest brother didn’t tell him that often. “Guess sex isn’t the only thing I’m good at.”

“That’s true,” Taeg said. “You’re also a good swimmer. And we’re going to need that particular skill when we go back to Wales to get Excalibur. Once we were done with the sword, I threw it back into that damned freezing lake.”

Dagan groaned, but it was mostly for show. Truth be told, he was up for anything that helped put that sick incubus away. Not that Amara was growing on him or anything, but the bastard needed to pay for what he’d done to her and the other women. That, and...well, he knew how much it meant to Ronin.

Keegan’s cell phone, which lay on the desk, buzzed. He read the screen and frowned. “It’s Cresso.”

Those two words caused automatic tension to build up in the air. If something happened to Ronin, Dagan didn’t know what he’d do.
Please let him be okay. Please.

“Hello,” Keegan said. Then, after a pause, “Really?”

“What?” Dagan said. “What is it?”

Keegan met their gazes and broke into a smile. “That’s the best news I’ve had all week.”

Taeg froze beside him. “A cure?”

“Fuck if I know,” Dagan replied, but something inside of him loosened. Their brother was okay.

“That’s great,” Keegan said. “In that case, our bit of news can wait.”