Peace (9 page)

Lam blinked. He never expected any kind of declaration from Day. In fact, he’d gone out of his way to avoid asking for one. He’d always worried that needing to hear how Day felt about him put too much pressure on the fallen angel. It was the fear of Day leaving him that had kept him quiet. Yet here Day was, telling him there was no light in the world for him if Lam was gone.

After reaching out, he cradled Day’s face in his hands then leaned forward to brush his lips over Day’s mouth. He sighed as Day threaded his fingers in his hair, tugging him closer. Lam slid off his chair and joined Day on the floor. He let the kiss go on a few minutes more before he ended it.

“I don’t want to do this here,” he whispered. It wouldn’t have been the first time they’d had sex in the kitchen, but something was different about this moment.

Chapter Nine

Day shoved to his feet, holding his hand out to Lam. He couldn’t find the words to tell Lam how thrilled he’d been to discover him in his house. When he’d realized no one was home at Gatian’s apartment in Paris, his heart had dropped. He’d been sure he would never find the Horsemen—or Lam either, for that matter. Yet here his lover was, relatively unharmed from his banishment.

“How did you end up with the Horsemen?” he asked as they made their way to the staircase. “Usually when the Quad banish angels, they simply toss them out of the heavenly realm, not caring where they land.”

Lam tightened his grip on Day’s hand for a second. “I have to believe one of them, probably Gabriel, took pity on me and sent me somewhere I had friends.”

Eyeing Lam skeptically, Day bit back the sarcastic comment he wanted to make. Instead he said, “I’m not sure it was pity. Maybe Gabriel had misgivings about banishing you. I want to believe there is still some good left in all of them. Unfortunately, they haven’t proven that so far.”

“I know, but I thank whoever did it. Gatian found me on his balcony. The others were already there for some kind of gathering they have once a year. I think it’s on Gatian’s wedding anniversary.” Lam pursed his lips.

Day wanted to crush his mouth to Lam’s and taste his strange flavor—a mixture of myrrh and vanilla. He’d never thought the combination would be enticing, yet his cock grew hard whenever he smelled it. Of course, that was because it usually meant Lam was somewhere near him.

“Are all the Horsemen married now?”

“They aren’t Horsemen anymore,” Lam reminded him. “They’re as mortal as I am. And yes, they are married. Be proud of yourself. You were instrumental in Gatian and Pierre getting together. If you hadn’t been willing to help me, they might still be floundering around.”

He snorted. “I doubt that. You’d have figured out some way to get them together. You did the first three all on your own. And it wasn’t like I wanted to help them. You forced me.” He cringed a little at the whiny tone in his voice.

Chuckling, Lam reached out and patted his ass. “Poor baby. You’ll get over it, and it didn’t hurt you to be nice for a change. You thought of someone else besides yourself.”

“I always think of others, especially if it’s you.” He dragged Lam up the stairs and down the hall to his master suite. “I’m glad I let the servants have some time off. We’re all alone and I can have my wicked way with you.”

“Oh, that reminds me, where’s Paisley? I don’t think I’ve ever been here when she wasn’t around somewhere.” Lam stopped in the middle of the room.

Day started to unbutton his shirt. “I’ll tell you all about her later. Don’t worry. She won’t pop up unexpectedly. I gave her a vacation as well. I don’t really need her around, you know. I’m perfectly capable of running my own businesses.”

“You just can’t be bothered to do so most of the time.” Lam stripped off his T-shirt then began to work on getting his jeans off.

No argument there.
Day could admit he was indifferent to his businesses. It wasn’t like he needed the money to survive. They’d started out as a way to amuse himself after centuries of wandering the Earth, but even that amusement had faded after a while.

Frustrated with how long it was taking for them to get naked, Day waved his hand and their clothes disappeared. Lam laughed.

“I’m going to miss being able to do that whenever I want,” Lam confessed then took Day’s hand. He yanked him against him. “I need you.”

Shivers chased down Day’s spine. How many times had he heard that over the millenniums? Yet none of the mortals who’d uttered the phrase affected him like Lam did. Day wanted to lock Lam away and never let him out of his sight.

“I won’t ever go away again,” Lam whispered against Day’s skin. “I don’t have to leave your side now. My allegiance belongs to you alone.”

Day trembled as the knowledge of Lam’s changed circumstances slowly hit him. Lam was right. He never had to leave Day again. There was no other demand on Lam’s time and Day had nowhere he needed to be any time soon.

He swept Lam into his arms then carried him over to the bed. After laying him down, he tugged the comforter out from under Lam, pushing it to the foot of the mattress. Lam held his arms open and Day crawled up to join him.

Their sighs mingled as Day settled his body over Lam’s. The warmth from Lam’s skin sank into Day, easing the cold that plagued him so often. It was one of the things Day hated most about his existence. He could never seem to get warm enough. Lam seemed to know that because he always wrapped his arms so tight around Day.

“I’ll admit when I woke up as a mortal, I was afraid we’d never be together again,” Lam murmured against Day’s skin.

“I wouldn’t turn my back on you, Lam. You never thought about denying me, even when we both know that you weren’t supposed to have anything to do with me.” Day nuzzled Lam’s jaw.

Lam chuckled as he rocked his hips into Day’s. “Like I had any choice. You were—are—a persistent bastard. I didn’t think you’d let me ignore you for long.”

Another touch of Lam’s hands ghosting across Day’s back caused him to tremble, but he smiled. “You’re right. I’d been watching you for a while.”

Pulling back a little, Lam eyed him. “Really?”

“Oh yes.” Day nodded. “Ever since the moment you walked in on the argument between Michael and me. There was something about you that caught my attention. Maybe it was the innocence in your eyes. It had been a very long time since I’d seen that emotion on any angel’s face in the heavenly realm.”

Lam trailed kisses along Day’s jaw then flipped them. Grunting, Day scowled but tilted his head back to give Lam more access. He let his eyes drift close and shoved any other thoughts out of his brain. Having Lam in his bed was far more important than discussing why he’d chosen to chase after Lam.

He caressed the scars on Lam’s shoulder blades, hoping they weren’t as painful as his had been when he’d been banished. Lam twitched, but didn’t stop as he wrapped his lips around his nipple and sucked. Day threaded his fingers in Lam’s hair and held him close, loving the suction and slight hint of pain from Lam’s teeth.

“
Fuck!
Love the feel of your mouth on me,” he muttered as Lam began working on the other nipple.

Day slid his hands down to grasp Lam’s ass then got him moving against him. He ground their erections together while rubbing his fingers over Lam’s hole. His lover moaned before pushing back.

“Eager, aren’t you?” Day shifted slightly, gathering a little of his power to make a bottle of lube appear on the bed next to them. He arched up when Lam sucked up a mark on his chest right above his heart. “Give me a second.”

He lifted Lam off before settling him on his hands and knees. After opening the lube, Day squirted some on his fingers. Lam rested his cheek on his arms and glanced back at Day then wiggled his ass.

Laughing, Day slapped Lam’s butt. “I never get tired of this view. So tight and firm. It haunts my dreams.”

“Haunts? Like a nightmare?” Lam joked, then groaned when Day slipped the tip of his finger into him. “I’ve missed this.”

Day didn’t reply, just eased one finger, then two, inside. He began to work Lam’s opening, stretching and filling him until Lam begged for more. Day tapped Lam on the hip. “Roll over. I want to look you in the eyes when I fuck you.”

Lam did as Day ordered, spreading his legs for Day to kneel between them. Day traced the slope of Lam’s nose before he reached down to position his cock then began to push in. He stared down into Lam’s beautiful blue eyes, watching as they grew hazy then slowly closed.

When he thrust all the way in, he paused, sighing at the warmth surrounding his shaft. “You’re always so warm,” he murmured. “I love being inside you like this.”

“I would stay like this forever if we could,” Lam admitted. He curled up to press his lips against Day’s for a few seconds. “No one would miss us if we decided to stay in this bed and never leave.”

Shaking his head, Day said, “I’m pretty sure the Horsemen would come riding to the rescue if they don’t hear from you eventually. Unlike me, you have friends, though it shouldn’t shock you that no one would miss me.”

Lam tightened his inner channel around Day. “Could we discuss this at some other time? You need to move.”

Day raised his eyebrows at Lam’s demand but did as his lover had commanded. He slipped almost all the way out except for the tip of his cock then thrust back in. With each stroke, his movements grew harder and faster. Lam held on to his shoulders, encouraging him with whimpers and moans.

They moved together as though dancing to music only they could hear, and it was that very synchronicity that had attracted Day to Lam in the first place. How perfectly they fit in every way, not just their bodies, but their minds and hearts.

Pressure built behind his balls while he drove Lam closer to the edge. Dropping his head back, Lam bit his bottom lip then yelled as he came, coating his stomach. The clenching of Lam’s ass around his length pushed Day into his climax. He shouted Lam’s name as he spilled his cum.

He collapsed into Lam’s arms, panting and shuddering. Lam whispered something, but Day couldn’t hear it over the pounding of his heart. Finally, when their breathing evened out, Day rolled off Lam to rest next to him.

“I missed you.” He clasped Lam’s hand in his then laid them on his chest. “When I heard you were gone, I was afraid.”

Lam pushed up on his elbow to stare down at him. “Afraid? Why?”

“I thought I would never see you again. I didn’t have any way of finding you once you were mortal. You were gone and I’d be alone once more.” Day shifted his gaze to the ceiling beyond Lam’s shoulder. He didn’t want to say anything more, though it wasn’t like Lam didn’t know how lonely Day had been before they’d began to spend time together. He started a little when Lam cradled his face then turned it so he would look at him.

Lam brushed a kiss over Day’s mouth. “You do realize that I would’ve gone to the ends of the Earth to find you. There’s no way I would’ve let you go the rest of eternity without me. Not after I was banished because of our relationship.”

Day covered Lam’s hands with his. “I’m glad you found me. I was getting ready to storm heaven for you. It wouldn’t have been good. The Quad might be the most powerful force in that realm, but I’ve grown in power while being here. I’ve never been scared of them. They should be afraid of me and of pissing me off.”

“You won’t do anything to them,” Lam informed him with a shake of his head. “I won’t allow you to do something that’ll end up hurting you.”

“All right. I’ll obey, Master.” He grunted when Lam pinched him. “Come on. Let’s clean up then go get something to eat. Kind of annoyed now that I gave the servants time off, but I didn’t want them around while I was losing my temper.”

Lam climbed out of bed then held out his hand. Day took it, letting Lam help him off the mattress. They wandered into the bathroom where they washed up before heading downstairs. Day motioned for Lam to sit at the kitchen table while he started pulling things from the refrigerator.

“Why do you have all this food if you don’t eat?” Lam propped his chin on his hand.

“I like to cook, even if I can’t eat it. Also, the people who work for me are mortal, so they need nourishment.” Day snorted. “My chef gets frustrated because I don’t eat a lot of what he makes. My employees love it since they get to eat all the gourmet stuff he cooks.”

Day put a skillet on the stove then seasoned the steaks he’d gotten out of the refrigerator. After he got them cooking, Day poured Lam some coffee before setting the mug in front of him.

Lam took a sip then grimaced. “How do people drink coffee?”

“A little bitter? Here’s some milk and sugar. Try adding some and see if that helps.” Day pointed to the sugar bowl before getting the milk out of the refrigerator. He went back to chopping up vegetables. “I get the feeling that Paisley is something more than my assistant. She was asking some very personal questions before she left, which she’s never done before.”

“Maybe she was worried about you. If what you said was true about how you reacted when you lost me, you were acting way different than you usually do. Paisley had to know something was up.” Lam shrugged. “I wouldn’t read too much into it.”

Day studied Lam for a minute before tossing the salad items into a bowl. “You might be right, but my gut says there’s something else going on with her. I just wasn’t interested in finding out at the moment. Now that you’re here with me, I can start nosing around her life.”

Lam shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that, Day. You might not like what you find—or it might get her in trouble.”

“How would me looking into her life get her in trouble?” Day finished putting the food on the table then sat across from Lam. “It’s not like anyone cares what I do anyway, plus what could she possibly be that would upset me? I mean, I could be totally wrong, and she’s just a simple girl working for a bastard of a boss.”

After taking a bite of his steak, Lam chewed then swallowed. “This is very good. Not bad for a guy who doesn’t eat. I have a question, though. Has your gut ever been wrong about a person? I mean, you’ve developed good instincts after all these centuries. I was just playing Devil’s advocate about the whole thing.”