Her Guardians: Her Guardians Trilogy Book 1 (17 page)

Step
hen’s expression was one of shocked amusement. “You know, you are quite something, Cassie Johnson…aka, Twinkles. No one has ever put it like that before.”

We clink glasses and
made a toast to being different. That was certainly both of us.

We spent
the rest of the evening getting drunk. I tried to make pasta for dinner, but couldn’t stop giggling in the kitchen as Stephen was being silly. I would try stirring the sauce, and Stephen would make a face. I would try adding more ingredients, and Stephen kept trying to tickle me. It was the strangest dinner making session ever, and one that I had never done with four glasses of brandy and coke in my belly.

Stephen
, on the other hand, still looked sober. It was almost as though he couldn’t get drunk. I was the one falling about, giggling. He just seemed to take everything in stride.

As we sat down to dinner, I asked, “Tell me about you.” Stephen intrigued me as much as Michael.

“What is it you want to know?”

“What were you like as a child?”

The impish smile was back again.
“I was always a little tearaway. I would drive my mother insane with all the things I would get into. I would rebel at almost anything. My parents were frustrated with me because I had such a strong mind, even then. I guess it’s just who I am.”

I felt a little sorry for Stephen
. It must tear him apart at times being so far away from everyone he loves. “Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“Home.”

“I suppose I do
, in my own unique way. I have family that I haven’t seen for years because I was kind of forced out. I did wander alone from place to place, job to job for a while. In the end, I decided that I should do some good, so I joined the police force. It was there I learned that Michael was in town. I put in for a transfer and here I am.”

“Michael said you knew who I was.”

“Yes.” His smiled almost triumphantly. “He was telling me how frustrated he was that he hadn’t found you yet. He knew how important you were because he was told this before he left. Michael is the…‘golden child’, shall we say. There’s no wrong he can do. The minute I saw you, I knew there was something different about you. I must admit, I was a little infatuated by you. But you’re someone anyone could easily be infatuated by.”

I
instantly felt the heat rush to my face, causing him to smile. Stephen always seemed to have a way with words. No matter what his circumstances were—the way his family considers him the “dark one” who had been outcast—he always knew how to explain things from the heart. He wasn’t afraid to show emotion. I liked that about him.

“So when did you guess?”
I had to know.

“
Honestly, as soon as I saw you and you told me your name. I put two and two together very quickly. I must admit, I did think I should tell Michael, but then the little naughty voice inside my head told me not to. Sometimes I have to listen to that naughty voice. I can’t seem to help it.

“
I think Michael suspected something wasn’t quite right when I kept hanging around you. Even though I knew I was being bad keeping you all to myself, I just couldn’t stay away. The night of the CID party, Michael demanded to know what I was doing with you. I told him that I suspected there was something special about you, but he dismissed it. He wasn’t supposed to go there that night, but something obviously made him change his mind. I guess he wanted to see it for himself.

“
I must admit, I’m a little pissed off about that. I wished it would have been me instead of him who whisked you away.”

I thought
about that for a moment. What if it
had
been the other way around? I wonder if things would be different now.

“Well, what’s done is done.
You did a very brave thing by stopping Daniel. Thank you for that.”

“It’
s no problem. He’ll have a bit of a headache for a couple of days, but that’s as far as it will go for him.”

I was grateful for what he had done, but it hadn’t really changed anything.
“He has to be stopped.”

“
I agree. We need to put our heads together at some point and come up with a plan. For now, I want to enjoy your company.”

He picked
up a lock of my hair and started playing with it. The feeling sent a shiver all over. I needed to get away from this situation, and fast.

P
icking up my plate, I took it to the kitchen. I could tell he knew there was something up, but he didn’t question it.

“So, what is the plan?” I ask
ed as I sat back down. “You’re going to stay with me the rest of the week?”

“That’s
about that gist of it.” His mouth curved into a grin.

“You’re not planning on having me drunk the whole time
, are you?”

“No.”
His laughter radiated around the room. “But that does sound quite tempting. You’re rather adorable when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk!”
I was protesting a little too much.

“Well
, then, you’re just plain old adorable. What can I say?”

I wish
ed he would stop. It was making things so much harder when he talked to me like that. He knew I was attracted to him and I should imagine he knew that he could push it if he wanted to but, for some reason, he wasn’t. I’m not sure why I felt disappointed when I thought about that, though.

**********

I used the rest of the night to wash up and sort my stuff for work tomorrow. Stephen was doing the late shift Monday and Tuesday so he could sleep in.

I
briefly spoke to Kali on the phone, and called my uncle just in case he called when I wasn’t here over the weekend. I didn’t tell them anything. I was with Stephen and didn’t want them asking awkward questions. It was hard, though, as Kali wanted to know what the hell had happened to me on Friday night. I told her I felt really ill and Michael took me home. I explained that I hadn’t felt well the whole weekend. I knew it was a lie, but she didn’t seem so angry with me after that.

Eventually
, we settled down for bed. I felt really bad about Stephen sleeping on the floor, but the alternative would be a big mistake. I knew the temptation would be too strong and I also knew what would happen if it presented itself. I couldn’t be rejected like that twice in a row. I didn’t even know why I was thinking about it.

My goodness,
I seem to be getting worse!

Chapter 9

I
was in that heavenly place again, so peaceful and bright. I was floating on an endless cloud that encased me with nothing but love. I could feel it on every pore of my skin, and it felt exquisite.

Soon, Michael
was there and he wrapped his big, strong arms around me. I felt cherished and adored—a feeling I didn’t want to end. He kissed me tenderly and told me he would be there for me, and that he’d never let me go. It was everything I wished to hear.

He caresse
d my cheek and kissed my neck. I threw my head back. I didn’t want this feeling to end. He touched me and kissed me in places which made me feel like I was going to explode. I was so on fire with want that it’s making my head spin.

“Cassie?” I hear
d in the distance. I felt like someone was trying to pull me away, but I didn’t want to leave.

“Cassie,” the voice called again. My body gave into it straight away. I wake, but feel a loss—the loss of his beautiful touch. Grabbing him, I brought him to my lips. I wanted to feel them on mine. I wanted to feel him close to me. I wanted that dream to be real.

He tried
to pull away, but I gripped onto him so forcefully that he seemed to comply with my demands. I pulled him so violently that it made him moan into my mouth.

He’s on top
of me now and I could feel how hard he was. And his lips—I always thought his lips tasted like heaven, but this was different. It was almost like he was giving into me, almost as though he wanted this as much as I did. It made the throbbing that much harder to bear.

I
didn’t know what I wanted, but my body was doing the talking for me. It seemed to know exactly what to do next and my mind was just giving in.

I want him inside me!
my body screams. It was a power like no other I had ever felt.

His kisses
were so sweet, so delicious, and so tender that it made my heart beat louder than ever before. Instead of just kissing me, he did something even more this time. He trailed those sweet kisses down my throat and across my neck, making me moan. As if I couldn’t ask for more, he surprised me further by running his hand up my tank top and squeezing my nipple.

I cried
out again. I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but I was completely lost in anything and everything he was doing. I was open, I was willing. I lifted up his t-shirt and, to my amazement, he let me. What surprised me more is that he did the same to me. My breasts were heaving against his magnificent chest.

He obviously want
ed me just as much as I did him and the thought sent me into overdrive. I was desperate for him, so desperate that I thought I might explode.

He carrie
d on kissing me down my neck, then he descended lower towards my nipple. He placed one in his mouth and started playing with the other. I cried out again. It was the most glorious feeling I had ever felt. Did it always feel like this? Because if it did, how do women ever get anything done during the day?

He
was going to give me what I wanted. I could feel it. He wanted to take me and I wanted to be taken. Moving his head over to my other nipple, I ran my fingers through his hair. “Oh, god!” I cry, unable to hold my feelings in check anymore. I was on fire and I needed him to know it.

“I don’t think God’s got anythi
ng to do with this,” he answered, his breathing harsh against my mouth.

The sound of his voice halt
ed me. “Stephen?” I squeaked out.

“The one and only.
Who did you think it was?”

In a panic, I sat up, pushing
him off me so violently that he ended up falling to the floor with a thud. “Shit, Stephen. What was that? What the hell just happened?” I was confused, disorientated, and still highly turned on.

“I believe that was us about to get it on.
I must say, I’m a little disappointed that you stopped.”

“What?”
I was beyond bewildered. But then, all too soon, realisation kicked in. Michael was not here, Stephen was. And I was just about to have sex with him.

“Oh
, god…oh, god…oh, god,” I said over and over again as I paced the floor.

“I thought I already told you that God ha
d nothing to do with this.”

“This is not funny, Stephen.
Why did you let this happen?”

Getting up from the floor
, he sat back down on the bed. “I tried to pull away, but you’re very strong. I thought you wanted it. Who am I to say no to you? You know that I want you.”

I couldn’t seem to understand anything that was happening.
I was obviously still dazed from my sleep. “But you didn’t stop me.”

“No
. Why should I if it’s really what you want?”

“But you’re an angel,” I replied
.

“I would sa
y more of an…angel in remission.”