Damned and Desirable (Eternally Yours Book 2) (33 page)

I let my legs fall open with a sigh as he slid his finger out while showering my neck and lips with delicate kisses. It was so like Aedan to take the time to pleasure me, delaying his own release until I was satisfied. Well, considering all he’d gone through to get to me, I decided he deserved a little gratification, too. Besides, after that one little orgasm, I was still horny, damn horny. I wanted more than just a finger fucking. I wanted his whole entire length buried deep inside me, grinding into me until we both screamed for release.

I smiled up at Aedan as I stretched my sated body one last time, and then I leaned up, pushing him back and rolling on top of him. He hiked up my toga, ripping off the belt and yanking it over my head. I tore at his clothes, pulling up his toga while he slipped out of underwear that reminded me of Cupid’s diaper or maybe protection for people with bladder control issues. They were probably some giant’s thong. If I hadn’t been so horny, I would have pointed at his Depends and laughed my ass off.

He grasped my face in his hands, pulling me up the length of his body while grinding his engorged tip against my pelvis. I growled, moving around until I felt the head pressing against my aching sweet spot. I slid down his length with a grunt, gently biting his lip as he stretched and filled me. He grabbed my hips, trying to hold me in place, but I was having none of it.

“Slow down, Ash,” he groaned into my mouth, “or by God I swear I’ll explode.”

I doubled my efforts, fighting his grip and sliding up and down his slick rod while panting like a rabid animal. Though I loved the sweet way he always made love to me, now was not the time for tenderness. I needed to feel the man I loved pulsing deep inside of me, claiming me as his own with hard and heavy strokes.

“Can’t stop,” I cried. “I need you. Love you.”

He hissed as he thrust upward, matching my erratic tempo with deep thrusts. His cock swelled and pulsed inside of me, flooding my channel like an overflowing river. I screamed as an orgasm shot through me like a bolt of lightning. Aedan held himself deep inside me, grinding that head against my pulsating bundle of nerves, coaxing out another orgasm and another. Each time, the wave swept me under its power, holding me for several glorious heartbeats before cresting again. After the fourth orgasm, I fell limply on top of him, sighing against his chest as he stroked my spine.

I laid there with a big fat smile on my face for several heartbeats, my eyes fluttering shut as I relished the tingling sensation of him stroking my skin. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.

“Ash?” he asked, kissing my temple. “Did you mean what you said?”

“Hmmmm?” I opened my eyes.

He stiffened beneath me. “You said you loved me.”

I rolled off him, cupping his cheek in my hand as I searched his gaze. “I did, and I do.”

He grabbed my hands, kissing the tips of my fingers. “I will never doubt you again.”

A wave of guilt washed over me. I sat up, pulling away from him. “You were right to doubt me. I didn’t know what the water would do to me, and I flirted with Callum.” I paused, turning my gaze down as a wave of shame washed over me. “I lost myself, forgot who I was and all sense of right and wrong. I even had an erotic dream about him.” My chest tightened, as I barely breathed the words. “I’m sorry.”

He cupped my cheek in his palm. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I know what the water does to people.” He winked as he cleaned up our mess with his diaper underwear. Good thing it was super absorbent.

Tears of gratitude flooded my eyes, and though I was relieved Aedan had forgiven me, I still felt awful about the rift between him and his brother. “He turned me down, Aedan. He said he would never betray his brother again.” I searched his eyes for any sign of hope. “He risked his soul to save me, but he did it all for you.”

Aedan nodded, his steady gaze locked on mine. “When the Nephilim bring him back, I will make things right with him.”

“Really?” I squealed, jumping to my knees.

“Yes.” He flashed a smile that didn’t quite mask the sadness in his eyes. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

“You’re welcome,” I said hesitantly, wondering what would cause him to hold back. Something else was troubling him.

He smoothed a hand down his face with a groan before he bent over, picked up his toga, and slipped it over his broad shoulders. “Now I just have to figure a way to get us all out of here.”

I threw on my toga, too, cinching the pretty gold belt as I noted the pained look in Aedan’s eyes. He was so consumed with getting out, he didn’t realize maybe I wasn’t ready to go. Because, truthfully, I wasn’t. I’d seen what I could do, and I knew without a doubt I could help the Nephilim. So far, they’d been kind to me and my friends. And I held a special place in my heart for Garf. I couldn’t just leave them like this, to face down their enemy alone, for I feared Scorpius would never allow them to live in peace.

“We will leave, Aedan. We’ll all get out of here after we defeat the demon army.”

He jerked back. “Have you lost your marbles? I’m not letting you fight those demons.”

“Aedan.” I heaved a sigh, struggling to find the right words. I got to my knees, grasping his hands in mine as I looked deeply into his eyes. “I have to help them. All my life, I’ve lived for myself, and myself only. Now I have the chance to be a part of something more.”

He shook his head. “Ash, those demons can cast you down to another dimension.”

“I know, but they need to be stopped.”

He released my hands and shot to his feet, pacing across the oversized bed before looking down at me with a scowl. “Look at what they did to Garf. They cut his wings and tortured him for over a hundred years. And what about the two missing giants? Not to mention the fact that they steal souls from Earth and Purgatory.”

I stood, planting my hands on my hips as I steeled my resolve. I had to make him understand why I had to do this. “Exactly. Did you know Shadow used to be a ghoster, and he was captured and forced to become Scorpius’s blood slave?”

A look of understanding lit beneath his narrowed gaze. “That’s why Shadow kidnapped you.”

“Yes, and I know Scorpius will do it again. Who knows how many other ghosters are his blood slaves right now. Neither Earth nor Purgatory will ever be safe unless we defeat him, and now we’ve got two thousand giants willing to fight with us.” I looked at my palms, which had been burned and scarred just moments ago. The pain had hurt unlike anything I’d ever known, but I’d do it all over again. I had to. Scorpius had to be stopped. “I have the chance to make a difference.”

He closed the distance between us, gently clasping my shoulders and staring into my eyes. “Did you really shoot thunderbolts?”

I smiled. “I did, and today I cast nettles down to the thirteenth dimension.”

His jaw dropped. “God almighty, I would have loved to have seen that.” Then shadows crept into his eyes as his face fell. “But, Ash, that prophecy of theirs… what if it doesn’t come true? What if we are defeated and all are cast farther into Hell?”

I bit my lower lip, playfully batting my lashes as I nodded toward the bed where we’d just made love. “It can’t be all that bad as long as you’re with me.”

Much to my relief, Aedan tipped back his head and laughed, and I laughed with him.

Omigod. This is really happening. We are going to kick demon ass! Twenty thousand demons versus two thousand giants and a couple crazy ghosters. Seems like a fair fight.

A loud horn blasted through the halls, reverberating through my skull like two pots clanking together.

I trembled as I looked up at Aedan. “What’s going on?”

He squeezed his hands into fists, the veins in his neck swelling like raging rivers as we listened to the thunderous sounds of feet racing through the halls. “I don’t know,” he spoke through a tightened jaw, “but I bet it’s not good.”

Our door flew open, and Garf raced toward me, his booming steps shaking the bed and causing me to fall over. “Come, angel!” he yelled, holding out his arms.

I shot Aedan a questioning glance before I stepped into Garf’s embrace.

After he hoisted me down, Aedan jumped to the floor, frowning up at Garf. “What’s happening?”

Garf’s eyes bugged as he pointed toward the hall. “Demon army. They coming!”

Garf carried me toward the downstairs dungeon where we’d trained earlier today. I begged him to slow down, but he refused, saying we couldn’t keep the king waiting. I gnawed my lower lip as we turned a corner and Aedan and Jack disappeared from sight. I hoped they’d catch up to us, and they wouldn’t be trampled by the few other giants running through the halls. Luckily, it seemed most everyone else had already gone downstairs.

By the time we hit the bottom of the stone stairs, the Nephilim were lined up in rows and ready for battle, holding their clubs at their sides as they awaited their king’s instructions. Garf took me to Og, who was pacing in front of the large boulder that blocked the nettles’ cave. Garf silently bowed before his king and slipped into formation.

Sarge was waiting by Og’s side. He placed a meaty hand on my shoulder, his eyes glowing ominously as he flashed a thin smile. Sarge and I hadn’t gotten a chance to be alone together, and I knew this might be the last time I had to talk to him before we went to battle.

I placed my hand on his. “Sarge, I want to thank you for risking your soul for me.” My lip trembled as I searched his gaze. “You are a true friend.”

A spark flared beneath his already glowing eyes. “I’ve told you to call me Santiago,” he said, a seductive edge to his deep rumble. “And I want to be more than a friend.”

I swallowed hard as I looked away, an uncomfortable ache settling in my chest. Some part of me felt bad he’d come all this way for me only to be rejected, and some part of me felt really awkward I’d have to let him down in front of two thousand angry giants. Talk about the worst denial in the history of history.

“Sarge, I….” I blushed when he scowled at me. That’s when I remembered he’d asked me to use his given name. I didn’t know why it was so hard calling him that. Maybe because “Santiago” made him sound like a virile, sexy stud, the same stud who was wearing nothing but a towel the first time we met, and I was trying really hard to think of Sarge as just a friend. “Santiago.” His name rolled off my tongue too fast, and I felt more heat creep into my cheeks. “Aedan and I made up.”

That flame in his eyes practically exploded as he stepped back. “That’s too bad.” He shrugged before slanting a wry grin. “There’s always next time.”

Next time? As in Aedan will break my heart again? I sure hope not.

Aedan dodged between giants, bony chest heaving as he ran up to us. It was still hard to reconcile my gorgeous boyfriend to this skeletal creature, but I knew the same heart beat somewhere within him, and that was all that mattered.

He and Sarge exchanged looks that could only be described as two dogs getting ready to fight over a bone. Luckily, Aedan turned his back on Sarge, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulder. I reminded myself not to get grossed out that I was being hugged by a skeleton, especially considering that skeleton and I had just been making love a few moments ago.

Low murmurs could be heard throughout the room as the warriors grumbled. Og had a rather grim expression on his face, and his normally demonic grey pallor was as red as a bubbling pit of lava. Something had ticked him off, and I feared we were about to find out.

Og held up a hand, and the crowd went silent. “Nephilim, kin,” he shouted as he thrust his club into the air, “time has come to stand up to enemies.”

The crowd broke into cheers and bellows as they lifted their clubs to the ceiling, and much to my dismay, started chanting, “Angel, angel.”

He silenced them again with another wave of his club. His jowls turned into a heavy frown as his massive brow dipped low over his eyes. “Five Nephilim warriors left den this morning to search for dragon friend. Only three return.”

The giants swore, many stomping their feet, and shaking the ground beneath me. Good thing my bony boyfriend held me tight, or I would have fallen on my ass.

Again, Og silenced them. “Demons keep other two warriors. Demons demand we return angel or warriors be cast down.”

This time, Aedan and I did fall on our asses when the giants stomped so hard the ground felt as if it would split open. Aedan shielded me as pebbles and debris from the cavern’s ceiling rained down on us. I winced as I heard a few shards hitting his bones.

When the tremors died down, I assumed Og had silenced them, but I kept my face buried in Aedan’s robes, too afraid to look.

“Og have no choice,” the giant bellowed. “Nephilim give them what they want.”

I fell back as Aedan released me, jumping to his feet and thrusting his fist toward the king. “Like hell you will!”

Well, holy fuck. Why did I get the feeling Aedan wasn’t about to win this argument?