To Fall (The To Fall Trilogy Book 1) (34 page)

After a very long ride and using each second imagining all the things I wanted to do to Abby, we made it home. I pulled Abby into my room and closed the door. My jacket landed across the room and the heat in her eyes was unmistakable. Words weren’t needed. We launched. She was locked around me and I landed on the bed, flipping her so she was under me.

My tongue swept in as one hand grabbed her backside and held her against me. My other hand drew her shirt up, on the precipice of taking this further than we had before.

Her hands were under my shirt, on my chest, and then my back as though she couldn’t get enough of me. Our kiss became carnal, passionate, echoing our want for each other. I felt thicker and harder, feeling heat settle and burn between my legs. Shifting her hips, Abby’s core pressed against me; the flames only burned brighter and a groan crawled up my throat.

With a greedy hand, I cupped her breast, skimmed the lace, and pulled it away. Her skin was creamy and soft, arching into my hand. Her nipple was peaked and she shuddered when my fingers grazed it. Desperate to have her unravel to me, I rolled the hardened tip between my fingers and Abby’s moan was swallowed by my kiss. She rocked against my length and my hand drifted down to the button of her jeans.

Just as I was ready to rip off her clothes and taste every inch of her, Calista knocked on my door. “Hey, I wanted to show you something!”

I grumbled, “Seriously?” My head rested on Abby’s chest and she raked her fingers through my hair. Five freaking minutes! “Come in, Calista.”

Abby scrambled out from under me and yanked her shirt down.

Calista appeared holding a catalog and her eyes went wide. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you two were already…um—”

“By His Creation, Calista! Yes, we are already, um!”

Abby turned away, smiling.

Calista’s hand went to her hip. “Alexander, you don’t yell at Caleb like you do Hannah and me.”

“Caleb has enough sense to give us privacy.” My jaw clenched.

Caleb’s head popped into the doorway. “Hey, you called me?”

Abby was laughing now.

Caleb looked to me with his head tilted. “What did I miss?”

Looking to my part-hyena girlfriend, I asked, “This is funny to you?”

Nodding, she grabbed a pillow, trying to stifle her laugh.

“Okay, let’s see if you think this is funny.”

Pouncing on top of her, my fingers dug into her sides. She begged me to stop tickling, and when her heart became erratic a few seconds later, I stopped.

I was painfully aware how often Abby needed my gift. It was time I e-mailed Dr. Fredrickson. I wanted more information on a heart transplant and I had to warn him that I didn’t think she had much longer with this heart. We needed a contingency plan in case the Archangels denied her again.

Calista wanted to discuss Halloween costumes with Abby. I said I would meet them on the couch in a little bit. Once Abby closed my door, I decided to do an internet search first on any new pacemaker technology. My siblings said five had failed without explanation. Something was very wrong about that…

I was almost finished with my letter when Abby knocked. I closed my laptop and realized I had been in here for thirty minutes. Damn it. “Come in, beautiful.”

Her eyes darted around my room and landed on the computer. “You’ve been in here for a while.”

I picked the invisible lint off my jeans. “Sorry. I was looking up drive-in times and got lost in the reviews.”

“Oh?” Abby slid into my lap.

I shrugged and focused on her hands. “I didn’t like what was showing.”

“Were you going to watch a movie anyway at the drive-in?” I laughed, but she cocked her head at me. “What are you really doing?”

The lies twisted in my stomach. “I told you.” Dipping my head, I laced kisses behind her ear, knowing that would distract her. “What if we get take-out and go to our spot tonight? I have a DVD player in the SUV. We could watch a movie, or practice while listening to a movie.”

She hummed and her eyes shut. “I prefer the latter.”

“Mmm…me, too.”

49

Abby

Cinderella and a Teenage Mutant Ninja turtle screamed at me to smell their feet when the black 4Runner pulled up. My heart sped up at his huge smile. Sexy was the only word for him. The tight shirt dipped low and showed off the chest muscles behind a brown vest. The utility belt slung around his trim waist and blue pants hugged a sculpted backside that I caught an indecent glimpse or stare at when he turned to wave at a three-foot Darth Vader across the street.

Standing on the porch, Xander blinked at me. “I stepped out of the Millennium Falcon and went to Star Wars heaven.” He grabbed my hand and twirled me. “How did you get all that hair to look like cinnamon buns are attached to your head?”

“My hair is more bobby pin than actual hair. Wait…you don’t call your 4Runner the ‘Millennium Falcon’ do you?”

His eyes shot up and he pursed his mouth shut.

“Oh, good grief. Get in here, Han.”

Glancing around for parents first, Xander planted his lips on mine. “The girls ready yet?”

“Almost. Margaret is upstairs with them and I’m pretty sure Mom is searching frantically for her camera, as usual.”

Xander found Dad down the hall and they began their guy talk, home repairs or something. Dad was always happy to see Xander, his surrogate son.

Four feet plopped down the stairs. Emma was dressed as Rapunzel and Olivia wanted to be Queen Elsa. Bozo zipped around them in his shark costume, which was ironic because the dog couldn’t scare anything.

Xander and I took the girls around the neighborhood. I had hoped for a cool fall night, but it was warm. The twins tired out faster than last year. They complained of itchy costumes, aching feet, and heavy candy bags. Xander offered to carry them after a few houses. Amongst the scratchy glitter fabric and blonde wigs perched on each shoulder, Xander smiled up at the girls and had them giggling with corny Halloween jokes.

Xander was so good with my sisters; I thought he would make a great dad. How did that work? He would be human when we had children. Would they be fully human, or would they have angel DNA? Another whine fest about candy necessity pulled me away from my thoughts. Xander and I took the girls back and let my parents sift through the bags. The girls offered me the candy they didn’t like, but my stomach had felt odd since dinner.

Once parked at Jake’s house, Xander was all smiles, excited for his first Halloween party. It was funny to think of how old he was and there were still “firsts” for him to discover. I smiled knowing I would be there to see them, like tonight. The fast music was loud enough to hear a few houses away, and flickering pumpkins lined the path to the doors. The dark house was full of costumed partygoers and a lot of skin. There was more underwear and fishnet stockings than a lingerie store.

Five girls passed us dressed as Taco Bell Border Sauce packets with suggestive but clever phrases written on them. Giving Xander credit, he kept his eyes on me.

Mel and Greg came together. He was a doctor and she was a nurse—a naughty nurse, she couldn’t help herself. Beth came dressed as Wonder Woman. Calista was a hippie, Hannah a referee, and Caleb as Popeye. I thought Caleb was so adorable with his pipe; Calista drew anchors on his forearms because he didn’t need the fake Popeye arms when he had the real ones. Jake appeared as a zombie and I applauded Beth for her excellent makeup job.

Xander and Caleb danced with their sisters. They were amazing to watch and everyone noticed. Greg asked me to dance, which was awkward and my neck hurt from looking up at him. I danced or shuffled my feet with Beth a few times, and she had skills like mine. Terrible. Jake joined us, integrating with the bad dancers. Beth, Jake, and I had a blast with our own dance competition for worst moves. Xander was never far, and grabbed me for every slow dance and quite a few fast ones.

Jordan and Sophie waved to me. They were cute together, wearing costume chess pieces. Even Mark and his date were dressed as an Egyptian king and queen. I caught sight of Danielle on the other side of the family room. She opted for an adult version of Alice from
Alice in Wonderland
.

Leaving my group for water, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to Will. He wore a fake muscle man body suit with red shorts, dark sunglasses, and spiked sandy blond hair.

“Nice, muscle man!” I said.

He spun once. “You like?”

“Yes. Very manly, Will.”

He held up an arm as if he were flexing it, grunting. “I know. I didn’t even dress up.”

“I knew your everyday look was the façade.”

A slow song piped through the speakers and he pointed to the ceiling. “Hey, you wanna dance?”

“Sure.” I put my hands in his that were covered with silly workout gloves. Draping my arm around his neck, I rested on the thick cushion of his costume.

Will smiled. “I’m geeking out here. Princess Leia!”

“Thanks. Han’s over there dancing with his sisters. I suck at dancing.”

Without missing a beat, he said, “You also suck at singing and cooking.”

“Yes, thank you. I had forgotten.” My tone dripped with sarcasm.

“How are things going with Xander?” His brows wagged above the sunglasses.

“Great. He’s really good to me.”

He leaned closer. “You two say the L-word yet?”

“Yes. We have said the L-four-letter word. I know it repels most guys.”

Laughing, Will stood straight. “Not all, just guys who don’t like kittens and flowers. And dress up like muscle men.” He grinned and I slugged his arm. “I didn’t even feel that. Is your hand okay?”

“Aw, see you do care! There is a heart in there.” I tapped on his chest.

With a deep voice, unusual for Will, he rumbled, “Yes. Me, muscle man, care for, Abby.” He smiled and looked up. “Ruh-roh. I’d say by that look, your guy wants you back. I’ll let ya go.”

“Come over and dance with us.” I pulled on his hand.

He grinned. “Maybe. I’ve had my eye on the Invisible Woman all night.”

An embarrassingly long moment passed before I got the joke. “Okay. Night, Will. Have fun. Ask more visible girls to dance, please.”

He shuffled off to his friends. “Will do!”

Xander’s hand rested on my hip. “Hey, I lost ya there.”

“Sorry, Will wanted to dance.”

“He had enough. I’m missing my girlfriend.”

I loved when he called me that. “I’m sure you aren’t missing my dance moves.”

Xander’s gaze swept over me. “Mmm, I miss all your moves.” He planted another kiss on my lips.

After a few more songs, Caleb asked me to dance and Xander handed me over, but not before scowling at Caleb. Caleb remained unaffected. “You make my brother very happy, Abby.”

“He makes me happy.”

His voice dropped. “You’ve changed him.”

“How?” I frowned.

His smile assured me he meant it as a compliment. “Angels were only given enough understanding of human emotions so that we could assimilate in your world.” He looked to his brother. “He is feeling human emotions as a human would, without the same time and guidance you had to get used to them.”

“Oh, I never thought of it that way.”

“It means he has to work harder to control them, to understand them. It’s easy for him to let emotions rule out over rationale, it’s not how angels are. Truth be told, Abby, we’re all more human because of you.”

My nose scrunched. “I’m sorry?”

Caleb’s blue eyes twinkled under the colored lights. “Please, don’t be sorry. It’s different. Things get boring after a few millennia anyway.”

“How much longer will you be here? When will he be called back?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. It could be any moment or it could be a hundred years.”

I stopped dancing. “You don’t have a say? You have to follow orders?”

“Yes. In the beginning of humanity, very few of us were needed here. We were your teachers, for you to learn the ways of God. But as your species expands and matures, your faith diminishes, and Hell is seeping through the cracks that are only widening. We are the protectors of His Creations in whatever capacity He asks. For thousands of years, the war has existed between Heaven and Hell and we are God’s soldiers in His army against evil. We were not meant to live the lives we desire. Although we have the ability, we were not meant to love in the sense humans do. While He is benevolent and understanding, we don’t have freewill.”

My shoulders slumped and Caleb continued our dance. “Abby, he’s already chosen you. Please never doubt him. He wants you. He wants to be human. His greatest desire is to grow old with you, Alexander talks of it often. It’s going to take time for us to figure out how he can fall and be human with you.”

I looked to Xander laughing with Beth as he twirled her around in circles. “Calista said falling was difficult and painful. I don’t want him to suffer and lose all that he is. Can I go to Heaven?”

Sadness filled Caleb’s eyes. “You wouldn’t be with each other in that sense, no. Guardian angels don’t interact with souls. They are heavily protected by extremely powerful angels.”

“More powerful than Guardians?” I felt my eyes widen.

A small smile appeared that was filled with pride. “Yes. Much more so.”

“You wouldn’t tell me. Why can’t you heal my heart?”

Caleb wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Now isn’t the time for me to tell you, Abby. I’m sorry.”

I nodded, seeing his discomfort. We finished our dance and he gave me back to Xander.

Xander spent the rest of the party with me and took me home. Because he would be busy with Caleb this weekend, Xander gave me a long kiss to last me until Monday morning. Once upstairs, my stomach felt even worse and it occurred to me much too late that I should have asked him to heal me. I went straight to bed to sleep it off.