Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3) (25 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Amara walked with Ronin into his bedroom, where the late afternoon sun filtered in through the uncovered windows. He was still partially in shock, and who could blame him? The man had found his adopted sister after years of wondering what had happened to her.

She led him to the bed and urged him to sit, then curled onto his lap. “Why didn’t you tell me about your sister?”

“It was never intentional.” Ronin ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it down. “I supposed I’d become accustomed to not speaking about her. That seemed the obvious thing to do when Mammon took me.”

She turned her face into his chest, inhaling the pure, masculine scent of his skin underneath his cotton T-shirt. As always, a shiver of longing swept through her body. She knew now she would never tire of him.

“Rationally, I know she was probably safe,” Ronin continued. “Mammon wanted his flesh and blood, not random children. But deep down I guess I always feared that if he knew about Lina, he would come back for her. Or worse, do to her what he did to my mother. Or kill them both. She was only five when I was taken.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me.”

“I want to. I need to talk about it.”

The vulnerable note in his voice broke her heart. She hugged him to her, pressing soft kisses to his throat and his jaw. “You can tell me anything.”

“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

“Yes. I’m positive of it.” She placed her fingers on his cheek and turned his face so he met her eyes. “You saw how furious she was when I told her about Asmodeus having Solara. There’s strength and loyalty in that woman. In that she’s like you. It may take her some time to warm up to you again, but she will.”

He nodded and smiled, grasping her hand and placing a kiss to her palm. “How did I get so lucky to meet you?”

“I ask myself that same question about you, every moment of the day.”

His eyes grew dark and wild, and he drew her in for a sizzling kiss that left her body weak and trembling with desire for him.

When he pulled away, she confessed, “I want you so much.”

“You know I feel the same, my love.”

His words took her breath away, because she knew without a doubt that he meant them. He loved her.

“I love you too, Ronin.”

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened, but the blazing light in them said it all. When he tried to tug her back into his arms, she resisted. “I want to show you how much. Will you let me touch you? Love you?”

Red colored his cheeks, and he nodded.

She slid from his lap and tugged his shirt off, then tilted his head back so she could press kisses to his eyelids, cheeks, and mouth. His lips parted under hers, and she couldn’t resist sliding her tongue inside, mating her mouth to his. He groaned and tried to wind his arms around her, but she forced them back to his sides. “I’m touching
you
. You sit still.”

“You’re going to kill me,” he said, but the glimmer in his eyes indicated he very much liked this game.

She made a trail down his body with her fingers and mouth, stopping to swipe her tongue over his nipples. When he jumped, she let out a low laugh and continued down his smooth chest, sliding her tongue around his belly button, then lower, to where a light dusting of hair disappeared into his jeans. “These definitely have to go.”

“I agree.” He practically tore the button off in his haste to undo the fly, and after unzipping them, lifted his hips to help her yank his jeans off his body. His boxers went with them, leaving him gloriously nude.

As always, the sight took her breath away. Ronin was a man made to be admired. To be worshipped. To be loved.

She wrapped the fingers of both hands over his erection, guiding it into her mouth. Even if she hadn’t loved doing this—which she really, really did—she would still have done it to hear him make those animal sounds deep in his throat. Cool energy thrummed off his body, sending a pulsing beat between her thighs. Clenching them together, she concentrated on fitting as much of him as she could into her mouth.

His intoxicating fragrance made her mouth water and her legs shake. She alternated swiping her tongue over the tip with sucking him into her mouth, until his whole body trembled from the force of his passion.

“You’re gonna make me come,” he groaned, trying to drag her head away.

She drew him out of her mouth long enough to say, “That’s the general idea.”

When she sucked him back in, he gave up control and lost himself to the power of his release. His hands tightened around her and he pumped hard into her mouth. The taste of his essence—like a fresh spring with an added bit of spice—washed down her throat, making her so hot she followed him into a climax. She cried out around his thick length and continued to work him until she’d swallowed every last drop.

He tugged her up, closing his arms around her and lying back onto the bed so she was draped across his chest. “I don’t think they’ve even invented names for the things you can do with your mouth.”

“It’s because you’re so inspiring,” she said, mirroring his words from a few days before. He laughed and held her to him for several long minutes before he rolled her onto her back and started tugging her sweater up.

“What are you doing?”

“You have to ask?” He tugged her leggings off next, leaving no doubt as to what he had in mind.

“And here I thought we’d actually be getting some rest,” she murmured.

“That was your first mistake.”

She laughed, but then he slid her legs open and buried his face between her thighs, and her laugh turned into a moan. His tongue flicked her clitoris, then laved at her seam. And he’d thought
she
was an expert with her mouth? The things he could do should be illegal.

She lifted to her elbows and watched him move, playing her body like an instrument. His dark hair teased the flesh of her inner thighs, racking her body with shudders. When he grasped one of her legs at the knee and lifted it slightly so he could repeatedly flick his tongue inside her, she surrendered to another mind-bending climax.

He didn’t give her a chance to recover before he rose up and positioned himself between her legs. One long thrust, and he was fully seated within. She arched her back and cried out at the feel of him.

“I love the way you sound when you come,” he whispered into her ear.

“You must. You seem hell-bent on having me do it at least twenty times a day.”

He laughed and leaned down to slant his lips over hers, his tongue mimicking the slow pump of his cock. He drove into her for what seemed like hours, until every nerve in her body was alight with sensation. Just when she feared she couldn’t take any more, he increased the tempo, sliding out to the very tip and then plunging back in. Going harder, deeper, until the bedsprings squeaked from the force of his rhythmic thrusts.

“Oh yes,” she moaned, raking her nails down his back. “More.”

“Kiss me.” He tugged on her hair so her mouth lifted to his. Then he proceeded to kiss the breath out of her, until at last she tore her mouth away to gasp for air. Her teeth chattered and her whole body shook, but still she wanted more of him. She’d never get enough.

“Don’t ever stop fucking me.” She pressed down hard on his ass, trying to fit him deeper into her. The raw, animalistic sound of her voice surprised her. Like she was someone else. Someone who lived for nothing but the here and now, nothing but the piercing pleasure of his body slicing into her without mercy.

“I don’t plan on it,” he growled against her ear. He lifted off her, but before she could complain, he flipped her onto her stomach and straddled her, cupping the globes of her ass so he could slip between her slickened folds. The position tightened her womb, and he pushed in slowly, letting her feel every inch of his long, thick cock. He was so aroused, so big, that part of her was amazed she didn’t shatter into bitty pieces. She arched her back and squeezed her legs together, lifting her hips to accept more and more of him.

“Yes, like that.” The muscles of his thighs tensed against her body as he started a slow, grinding rhythm, filling her deep before sliding most of the way out and doing it all over again. He kept the tempo, pumping her hard and steady, until she had no choice but to erupt once more. Dropping her head, she clawed at the sheets and let the blinding force of her orgasm wash over her.

The muscles in Ronin’s body strained with the effort, but he kept with his slow, heavy strokes. His deep plunges racked her body with intense shudders, making her wonder if she could splinter apart from the sensation. It was too much. Not enough. She didn’t even know what she felt anymore.

“Come with me,” she cried.

“Not yet. Not yet.”

When she braced her hands on the bed and pushed upward with her hips, urging him to take her harder and deeper, he let out a hoarse shout. Wrapping her hair around his hand, he held her imprisoned while he thrust in and out of her with increasing ferocity. Claiming her in a way that went beyond animalistic. Beyond spiritual.

She screamed when another orgasm struck her with all the force of a speeding train, knocking the breath out of her and washing a haze of black over her vision. Only dimly was she aware of Ronin yelling, of his body tensing above her. He released deep inside her, but he continued to fuck her senseless. Pumping harder and harder, until she had no choice but to go over the edge once again.

Later, she realized she must have lost consciousness, because when she came to Ronin lay collapsed, half on and half off her. The tip of his softening arousal still filled her. Every now and again his cock let out a throbbing pulse that matched the one between her thighs.

She was beyond spent, her body far more used than it had ever been in her life. At the same time she felt sated and strong. It was mind-numbingly wonderful.

Ronin groaned and flipped onto his back, sliding off her completely. “You okay?”

“Can’t. Move,” she mumbled into the mattress. “Think I’m dead.”

He let out a hoarse laugh. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You can. Repeat. Whenever you like.”

His face sobered and he turned onto his side, then started rubbing her back. “I love you, Amara. Whatever happens tonight, we face it together.”

He was worried. With reason. Asmodeus had tricks up his sleeve they had no clue about. He was beyond dangerous.

They might not survive tonight.

“Together,” she agreed, curling her fingers over his free hand.

As long as they had each other, it didn’t matter how much longer they had to live. She would treasure every moment with him.

§

At five minutes to midnight, Dagan stood in the foyer of Keegan’s apartment, anxiously awaiting Lina’s arrival. Everyone else was already in the living room, including Bram and Reiver, and they were all going over their plan of attack. After hanging out at the far end of the living room, he’d snuck out here when no one was paying attention.

Okay, he was being a total dickwad, but something about the angel drew him to her. From the few moments he’d spent in her presence, he could tell she was strong, tough, and decisive, but had a soft core she tried to hide. And he liked it.

Maybe he was only fantasizing about her because she was smokin’ hot, and a full-blooded angel to boot. There weren’t too many of those wandering around in the city. But no, he thought the real reason might be the wild-child nature she exhibited. Who had ever heard of an angel mercenary before? Angels were known for their calmness and compassion. Sure, Ronin wasn’t always like that, but he was only half angel, and his demon side far outweighed the angel half.

Lina didn’t follow the rules, and that, more than anything, made him curious as hell about her.

Dagan crossed over to the intercom right next to the door, grateful there was one in every room. He pressed the button and spoke low. “Tony, has she arrived yet?”

“A few moments ago, Mr. Meyers,” Tony answered. “I sent her and her companions up, as you directed.”

“Thanks.”

He took his finger off the button and waited. After a few minutes, he heard the whisper of a sound outside the door. Dagan opened it before anyone could knock.

Lina stood on the other side, surrounded by four huge dudes that made her seem petite, even though she had to be at least five-feet-nine-inches tall. She wore the same outfit as before, except she’d thrown a leather motorcycle jacket over it. Even though it was zipped to her neck, he could see the outline of her figure underneath. High, firm breasts and a small, trim waist. Yeah, definitely hot.

She cocked a brow and subjected him to the same scrutiny. “I see the resemblance, but you look very different from your brother. What’s your other half?”

“Siren.” Her words surprised him. People usually thought he and his brothers looked a lot alike.

“Ah, siren.” The corners of her mouth ticked upward the slightest bit. “One of the most sensual of all species.”

The soft cadence of her voice sent an unexpected tremor of awareness through his body. She must have noticed it because she stilled. For one moment, something inexplicable passed between them. But then she resumed her professional demeanor once again. “Everyone ready to go?”

Dagan nodded. “They’re in the livi—”

“Lina.”

The sound of Ronin’s voice made Dagan pause. He turned around to see Ronin at the entrance to the foyer staring at Lina as if he still couldn’t believe she was there.

“It’s Iolina,” she said, as if she wasn’t fighting a losing battle with that one. Already, Dagan thought of her as Lina.

She motioned behind her. “These are my men, Ace, Kip, John, and Sam.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Ronin said. “Come into the living room. We’re going over everything now.”

Lina brushed past him, followed by her posse. Dagan closed and locked the door, turning in time to see the heated glare Ronin gave him. It appeared his big brother hadn’t missed his interest in the angel, and Ronin didn’t like it one bit. Dagan was certain Ronin was going to ream him about it, but in the end Ronin left the room. His silence said everything as clearly as his words would have, though. Lina was off-limits.