Kassern (Archangels Creed) (23 page)

“Well maybe if you kept your whore on a leash, we wouldn’t be in this fix.”

The growl that filled the car was damn near foreign to Kassern’s own ears. “Don’t. You ever. Call her that. Again.” Kassern didn’t care how much Devyn disliked that, nobody would hurt Karly. It was bad enough he would soon not be there to protect her.

Devyn jerked the door open and got out the car. Kassern reached out with his mind and prevented the door from slamming.

Devyn opened it again and slammed it, furious.

Karly sobbed into both her hands. “She hates me, why does she hate me?”

Troy got out and went to calm Devyn at the back of the car. Kassern pulled Karly to him and whispered those foreign syllables while Devyn ranted her hateful words about Karly, not caring if she heard, wanting to hurt her.

Karly’s lips found his chest and he strained under the assault, letting her have what she wanted and needed, stroking her head while trying not to feel all the sins that had been done to
her. How much pain and devastation she’d endured. His chest heaved when her lips made their way up his neck, his eyes clenching.

The doors opened and Troy and Devyn got in. Karly jerked back to her side of the car, shame pouring out of her spirit and hitting Kassern like acid.

“Where now Kassern?”

“I know a place in the woods. We’ll stay there until our personal business is resolved.”

But he also had plans for Karly. He didn’t care what sort of punishment he’d face for doing it. He wasn’t leaving this Earth till he literally loved the hell out of her sweet spirit.

Chapter Twenty Two

Devyn tried not to look interested as Troy followed Kassern's directions and drove down the overgrown dirt track shaded by heavy forest. Hopefully the cabin Kassern mentioned was more than a run-down shack with a leaky roof.

When she'd started thinking her teeth were going to rattle out of her head from the washboard surface of the track, they broke out of the forest into an open meadow. At the far side, a small house with weathered wood plank siding stood at the edge of another forested area.

Tall grass grew all the way up to the front of the house. Great. No doubt every kind of creature from crickets and bees to ground hogs and squirrels infested the damn place. She had no desire to become better acquainted with local wildlife.

Troy stopped the car a few feet from the broad front door of the cabin. Devyn had her door open and climbed out. She couldn't get away from Troy fast enough, and if Karly took another breath of the same air Devyn occupied, she'd kill the bitch.

The front door opened easily and the first room, a sort of living room/kitchen combination, was surprisingly large, clean and well-lit. Three doors led off the main room, but the others thumped into the house behind her before she could explore. Rather than stay inside with them, she brushed past without a word and stomped back outside. A walk seemed like a good idea.

Just off the doorstep, she found a faint footpath and followed it around the side of the house. Amazement forced her to a stop at the rear corner. A little forest pond waited in the center of a cloistered garden, complete with a moss-covered stone bench at one side. Enchanted, she went into the secret cove.

The bench drew her to sit, and the rich pond life mesmerized her. Small fish awaited insects while dragonflies buzzed over the surface. A bird waded in the shallows at one edge, and somewhere amid the grasses a frog called.

"Devyn!"

She jumped and turned to find Troy right beside her. She hadn't even noticed his approach. Great, she didn’t feel like a sugar sermon.

"Are you okay?” Concern furrowed his brow.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

His mouth tightened a little. Moving slowly, he raised a hand to tuck a lock of hair over her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" The movement of his mouth mesmerized her, and memories of what those lips and tongue could do to her body set her pulse pounding.

Answering him took concentration and she ended up repeating herself. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you didn't answer when I called for you." The pulse at the base of his throat caught her attention, tempting her to taste his warm skin.

Before she could think twice about it, she leaned forward and nuzzled in close to deliver a series of nibbles along his collar bone, ending at that tempting pulse point. She swirled her tongue, relishing the taste of his skin, and the rapid acceleration of that pulse.

A groan vibrated through his throat. "What are you doing?"

She stroked her tongue up the side of his neck to the angle of his jaw. "Tasting you." Beard stubble prickled against her lips and tongue as she tasted his jaw, working her way toward his mouth.

His breathing changed, deepened. "Am I allowed to taste you?"

"Absolutely." Little shocks echoed along her nerve endings in anticipation of his touch.

One hand crept up her arm then slid over to brush across her breast. Instant reaction hardened her nipple and quickened her breath. When her mouth reached his, he took charge, slanting his lips over hers, caressing with silky touches.

She needed him. Devyn took control, sweeping her tongue across his lips. When he parted them, she plunged her tongue into his mouth to stroke and entice. His moan set off explosions of lust in her, and she pressed closer. Heat from his chest radiated into her breasts, making them heavy and full feeling, almost uncomfortable, begging for his attention. Unable to wait, she reached for his hand and drew it to her breast, moaning when he complied.

Troy tightened his fingers,
then
slid them a little lower. His harsh breath spurred her need. "No bra?"

Rather than answer, she lifted the hem of her shirt and drew his mouth down to her breast. With a harsh curse, he settled his mouth on her nipple.

Tension built, tightening her belly until her whole body pounded with her pulse, and with it, her impatience increased. Before she could think twice, she put both hands on his shoulders and shoved.

He landed on the ground with a surprised
Oooomph
!
And she landed astraddle him, working at his belt.

****

What was wrong with her? She acted damn near sexually manic. Troy finally grabbed her hands and held them. Her gaze narrowed and met his wide eyes. “Baby, slow down.” He looked around. “Why don’t we go
inside.
”

The furrow in her brow grew tighter. “Why? What’s wrong with here?”

He looked around a little. “Do you realize how many insects they have in the woods? The
kind
that burrow into your skin and make you itch for days? Not to mention, I could be laying in poison oak. You or I don’t need to get that anywhere on our bodies, especially not…”

Troy watched light dawn in her eyes as she looked around. Then she met his gaze and that light slowly dimmed with something odd.

“Maybe you’re worried about Karly.” She jerked up and climbed off, leaving him stunned as she stomped to the bench and sat.

With an irritated huff, Troy followed and sat next to her, his erection making it hard to sit comfortably. “Why would you say that?”

She spun on him with a finger in his face. “
Don’t
fucking play me for a fool. I don’t give a fuck what you were before we met. If you’re going to be with me, you don’t go putting your
fucking
hands on another
fucking
woman!”

She marched off, heading toward the cabin and Troy shut his eyes for a few seconds before following her. He saw her in the car before he made it to the porch and headed to meet her. He heard the door locks engage as he approached the driver side. Oh come. On.

He gazed around at the span of green forest bordering the pasture land before knocking on the window. “Open the door Devyn.”

No answer.

He dug in his pocket and got the keys. Opening it, he sat in the driver seat and slowly shut the door with a sigh. “Devyn, look. I’m sorry, I’m still getting used to not being a minister.”

“Whatever Troy, you
know,
I don’t have the slightest desire or urge to even
touch
another man besides you. Really amazing that a
man of God
such as yourself would be struggling with such an inappropriate thing as giving another woman
fucking affection.

She spat the words like venom and there was no humor in the incredulous laugh he gasped out, but she sure thought different and slapped him for it. Across the face.

He glared at her. “What the hell was that for?”

“I swear you’re just so damn clueless about
every
thing.”

“Well why
don’t you
start teaching me
Devyn.
Teach the stupid preacher how to figure you out, or how to convince you that I will never love a woman the way that I love you no matter what you think.” His heart raced with the anger he’d just blasted at her but even more at the fury she was clearly about to launch back.

“Well you can damn well start by keeping your hands
off
of other fucking women and quit letting them put their filthy claws all over you. I mean, that night Karly had her pussy grinding on your cock, was it really that fucking hard to get her off of you? If I hadn’t showed up and interrupted, just how far were you going to let her take it,
preacher?
”

That was it. That was fucking it. Troy got out of the car and slammed the door, pacing a few seconds, raking his hand through his hair. Devyn got out too and circled around, coming at him with a pointed finger. “Don’t think that I didn’t see your hard-on before you hid behind the curtain either, you son-of-a-bitch.”

“What? That’s bullshit! You
did not
see that, that is…” he drew back a little. “Why would you lie about something like that?”

“Oh, I’ve been watching you Troy, taking notes. I can add one and one, and there is
no way
you didn’t have a hard on with her practically fucking you!”

Troy gritted his teeth and grabbed her shoulders, pinning her against the car. She stared up at him, startled. “Take it back.”

At the first sign of her anger, he shoved his leg between hers and caught her wrists when she tried to shove him off. “Get the fuck off of me.”

He pushed harder between hers, not missing the way her breath caught when his leg met her sweet heat. He could feel it through his jeans and suddenly, having her pinned this way seemed like the exact thing to do. Add the flash of desire in her eyes to that and he was eager to test that theory. It was almost like…this was the only thing that would convince her. She was beyond nice words and sweet touches. She was in the harsh life zone, where answers were crisp and clear. And not sweet.

Not his forte, but for her…Troy pinned her arms and pressed his suddenly very hard cock into her stomach. “My dick…” he whispered thickly next to her face, “belongs to you.” Devyn jerked her face right when he leaned for her lips. 

Troy groaned and pushed his erection against her again, settling his mouth on her ear. He had to admit, insisting felt…really good. “You’re mine.” He nipped the outer shell of her ear. “Do
not
fight me.” The gasp she gave at his words confirmed it. This was exactly what she needed. He lowered his mouth to her neck and licked firmly. “And I want you.” He scraped his teeth along her silky skin, drawing what he sought. A tell-tale whimper. “Right here…” he slid his lips along her jaw until he reached the edge of her mouth. “
Right now.”
He lowered a hand and skimmed his fingers over her erect nipples that burned him through his t-shirt while using his leg to grind softly against her desire.

She finally turned her mouth and he groaned, pushing her lips open with his, aggressively stroking her tongue. “All mine,” he moaned, reaching down and gripping her waist tightly to move her more precisely over his leg.

The delicate whimper she gave nearly drove him crazy. She liked it. A lot.

So did
he
.

Troy gave in to his explosive passion. He growled and yanked up her t-shirt and pinned her arms again while he feasted hungrily on her beautiful breasts.  She gasped, trying to move, but…oh no. He really liked it like this.

God, how could she think he wanted another woman besides her? He broke from her plump nipple and moved to her mouth for a brief devouring before spinning her around and pressing his cock into her ass. “Undress,” he whispered next to her ear, “I’m going to fuck you just like this.”

Her eager whimper and the way she hurried to comply made him growl. He prayed Kassern and Karly didn’t decide to come out, but then, it was dark and the car hid them. He undressed while watching her stumble out of her jeans. “Take off your shirt,” he whispered when she faced him. “Then turn back around. And hold on.”

Two seconds was all it took her and the second she faced the car, Troy was on her, his cock pressing between her delicious
ass
, his mouth at her ear.