My Soul Keeper (27 page)

“Thank you,” I whisper and then close the gap, dropping my lips to his as he cups my face so fiercely, like he’s afraid to let me go. I break the intense kiss and get to my feet, offering him my hand. He accepts it and rises with me.

I lead him up to my room. Once there I stop in front of my bed and turn to him.

“I forgive you.”

I watch the effect my words have on him. It’s like he can finally breathe again. I wipe the stray tear from his cheek and reach down for the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head and discarding it to the floor. He gasps as my hands splay across his bare chest. He’s so beautiful. Lean and smooth. I rain kisses across his skin. Both of us breathe heavy as the passion takes hold of us. I pull back slightly and reach for the hem of my top, helping him lift it from my body. His eyes rake over my exposed flesh and I see the want in his eyes. It makes my body heat and sparkle like a firecracker. Every nerve ending is on high alert, anticipating his touch.

He brushes his hand caressingly across my shoulder, slipping down my bra strap. He traces the journey of my strap with his lips and mimics the route on the other shoulder. He reaches back and unclasps my bra, letting it fall to the ground. My body is ready for him, peaking for his touch. My chest rises and falls in quick bursts. His hands find the newly exposed flesh, gently grazing over my nipples with his hands and tightening the need in my core.

I reach for his jeans, undoing the buttons, and then pushing them down his hips. I graze past his waiting erection and nearly pass out from the desperate need to have him fill me. I can’t believe we managed to wait this long before we did this. His lips find mine. Our tongues dance with each other’s, exploring, tasting.

He lowers me to the bed, resting his body over mine, holding his weight on his forearms. He tiptoes kisses down my face, neck, chest; his hot wet tongue tastes every inch of my skin. He travels his lips down my navel and begins undoing my jeans. My moans from his touch pass my lips and gain me groans from him in return.

He shimmies my jeans down and pulls them from my legs, planting kisses from my toes, to the calf, onto the thigh. Another moan falls from my lips as his hot breath brushes over my panties. He clasps his fingers into the waistband and lowers them, discarding them with our other items of clothing.

“You are the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen, Simone.”

He travels up my other leg, continuing his kisses. His lips reach my heated core and he swipes his tongue out, tasting me, devouring me with need and pleasure. A million fireworks explode behind my eyes, my body tenses and waves of pleasure flow through me like an electric current charging though my blood, leaving gentle shakes in its wake.

“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he tells me, making a million butterflies take flight in my stomach.

I reach over to my bed side table and take out protection. I’m grateful now that Leah insists I have them there. Shamar takes it from me and smiles.

“Are you sure, Simone? Because we don’t need to do this. I’m happy to wait if you need time.”

If it’s possible, I fall more in love with him in this moment.

“I’m sure,” she answers and I’m so glad she said that. I would wait, of course, but watching her come apart was the best moment of my life. Every fibre of my being is telling me I need to claim her. She’s so beautiful, I feel unworthy of her. She should be put on a pedestal and worshipped like the goddess she is, but I need to be with her.

I lean over her body and she opens her thighs for me to rest between them. The heat from our bodies mingles, making me groan. I cover her beautiful face in kisses, then her neck, while her hands stroke up my back. She flexes her hips, lifting them to meet me. I can’t help the smile that plays across my face. She wants me; she needs me now and her body is becoming inpatient.

“Please, Shamar, I need you,” she moans and it’s nearly my undoing.

I place myself where she needs me and slowly give her what she desires pushing inside her, feeling her heated walls surround me. It’s like ecstasy; nothing has ever felt this good. I was worried about hurting her but her moans tell me I shouldn’t have worried. Her body accepts mine like we were made for each other, two parts of an infinity symbol being put back together.

I use my lips and hands to explore every perfect inch of her body, sucking on her peaking nipples, grazing them with my teeth before soothing them with my tongue; her hips move in sync with mine. We dance, taking our pleasure to heights I never knew existed. My body thrusts deeper into hers, her wet warmth caressing my length as her body absorbs me into hers. Her breathing becomes more urgent as she clings to me, her body tightening around me and pulling me deeper into her bliss. Sweats clings to our skin, helping me glide effortlessly against her. She calls out my name her body tensing and flooding me in her release, it’s too much, the sensation exploding me into a million stars. I release with her.

“You really are my Heaven on Earth, Simone. I love you,” I tell her. The smile on her face brightens.

“I love you too.”

We stay tangled together until her breathing evens out and she falls into a slumber. I slide from the bed, careful not to wake her, and go to the bathroom to take a shower. After I dry off, I put my clothes back on, leaving Simone to rest. I call Liam.

“Hey,” he answers after a few rings.

“Hey. Listen, I know you’re mad at me right now, but I’m not calling for me. I’m calling for Simone.”

“What? Why? Is she okay?” I hear the panic in his voice.

“Yeah, for now. I need you to come watch her for me, keep her safe.” I don’t tell him that I need to go collect the souls of the dead because I’ve now taken over my father’s job; it’s still hard for me to accept.

“Okay, sure. I’ll leave now, but I’m going to need more information when I get there, Shamar. I can tell there’s something wrong. No one’s seen you for two weeks, and then you call out of the blue?”

“I know. I’ll explain, I promise,” I reassure him.

“Okay, I’m leaving now.”

I end the call and go to the kitchen to fix Simone something to eat. She’s lost weight. I hear her stirring upstairs, then the shower turning on. I take her sandwich upstairs and place it with a soda on her dresser.

Opening the bathroom door, I see the steam swirling around the room like smoke. The water from the shower rains down over Simone’s perfect smooth body. She tilts her head and looks at me through her lashes, smiling.

“Hey, you. I thought you sneaked out on me.”

I don’t know if she’s playing or if she’s serious, but she’s crazy if she thinks I’d ever sneak out on her, especially after making love to her.

“Never, Simone.” I smile. “I was making you a sandwich.”

She giggles and it’s a wonderful sound. “Wasn’t dinner supposed to come
before
the lovemaking?” She’s playing with me and, considering the situation, it’s refreshing.

“Well, it still could.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and she giggles some more.

“How do you feel?” I ask, worried she might be sore. Her teeth graze her bottom lip, making me want to join her.

“More in love, if that’s possible.”

My heart stammers frantically against my chest; her answer makes me feel like I can saw the sky, part the seas, and lift the mountains.

“How do you feel?” she asks.

“Like the luckiest man ever to walk the Heavens or Earth. Simone, I love you more than anything.”

She steps from the shower and wraps a towel around her gorgeous frame. I have to shake my head to clear my thoughts.

“I need to go… work.”

She nods in understanding.

“I called Liam to come over. I don’t want you to be alone.”

I hear the front door open and close.

“Hey,” Liam calls up the stairs.

“He’s here, so I’m going to go. I’ll be back as quick as I can, okay?” I take her face in my hands and pull her lips to mine. Her hunger builds, and I have to squeeze my eyes closed and drag in a few deep breaths to give me the strength to leave her. I de-materialize from the bathroom and appear downstairs with Liam.

“Everything okay?” he asks me when I have to brace myself on the stool in the kitchen. God, I just want to strip away her towel and devour her all over again.

“Yeah. Listen, I won’t be long. I’m taking Simone’s phone. Call me if you need to.”

He stares at me, arms crossed against his chest. “Are you going to explain what this is all about?”

I know he needs answers but they will have to wait. I need to get going, to catch up on the souls, so I can get back to her.

“Ask Simone to fill you in.”

I don’t give him a chance to reply. I just leave to the first name on my list.

The process is quick. Get in, take out. Fast and on to the next. A dark angel appears to collect the souls for the below and an angel from heaven takes the souls rewarded their place in Heaven. It’s all business, no conversation - or violence in the dark angels’ case.

I hear Simone’s phone singing to me. I retrieve it.

“Hey, is she okay?”

“Yeah, but I called Leah, and she’s acting weird. I need you to go see that she’s okay.”

“What do you mean, ‘acting weird’?”

“When she asked me where I was, I told her I was protecting Simone for you. She kept asking me if I was high.”

“That doesn’t sound weird. Leah’s always been, erm, well, weird.” I laugh.

“Shamar, go check on her. Something’s wrong.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go see her.”

I end the call and go to Leah’s house. I appear at the front door, just in case she’s in the shower or something. I ring the bell and wait. Loud, out of tune singing – or rather screeching – announces that she is coming. She swings the door open and takes out her earphones. Her mouth drops open a little and I feel her attraction toward me pouring off her body like smoke from a flame. It makes me uncomfortable and confused, because although I sensed this from her when I first met her, I haven’t felt it since.

“Well, hello.”

I look at her cautiously. “Everything okay?” I ask, looking behind her to see if she’s home alone.

“Things are looking up,” she quips, her eyes roaming my full body from head to toe. “So can I help you?” she asks and I feel my heart stammer.

“Leah, do you know who I am?”

She looks surprised that I know her name.

“Sorry, should I? Because I wouldn’t mind getting to know you.” She smiles, but I can’t return it. I feel dizzy and I shake my head.

“No, sorry. I need to go.”

Her posture straightens. “Hey, wait. What did you come here for? Hey,” she calls to me as I leave her standing there.

Once out of sight, I go to Simone’s. Liam’s pacing the kitchen.

“Shamar, I’ve been going crazy. How is she?”

“She didn’t know who I was. Michael or Gabriel, I think. They’ve wiped her memory. Where’s Simone?”

“She’s upstairs packing.”

I bolt for the stairs. Fear paralyses me. What if they took her memories too? I collapse on the bottom step, holding my head in my hands unable to go up.

“Liam, have you seen my phone?” Simone’s voice calls out from her room. He places a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah, Shamar has it,” he calls up to her.

“Where did you say?” Her voice sounds muffled. I can hear her looking around her room.

“Shamar has it, Simone,” Liam calls again.

I feel her step onto the landing. My body reacts to the nearness of hers, like my soul can feel hers, but a black hole of despair has opened up inside my chest.

She mutters three words and the despair swallows me whole.

“What’s a Shamar?”