Underworld Lover (A Guardian Angel Romance #2) (24 page)

She felt a wrinkled, wet hand squeeze her breast. She sucked in air and pushed his hand to that spot between her legs that hadn’t been satisfied since Daniel.

Damn him for preferring a Guardian angel.
It was Daniel’s fingers that pushed inside her, Daniel’s lips that bit the top of her shoulder. Daniel’s voice that whined in her ear. She would sit on Daniel’s thumb in the tub. Maybe someday she would tell Peter about how he didn’t measure up. Not yet. Not quite yet.

He was fully aroused and wanted to do her from behind again. She’d lost count how many times they had done it. Josh told her about what happened to a person’s stamina when they became a dark angel. She was suddenly grateful her first screw in the Underworld was the director, the top dog, and not an aging wrinkled rocker. Even Josh, although she always thought of him more like a brother, would be better than Beau, who was probably having himself a raunchy party as well.

Audray bent to her knees, assuming the position. She turned on a trickle of warm water. Her lack of arousal brought her a chill.

He performed the same order of events: first his mouth, then his fingers, then his cock. She could practically set her watch by it. And it all would be over in a matter of minutes, no matter how much he cried and cursed afterwards.

Just as he had gotten himself comfortable with the in and out rhythm, she stood up. She was going to satisfy her mood to pick a fight.

“Where are you going?” Peter mumbled. His lower lip was trembling, no doubt getting warmed up for another good cry.

“I’m going to check my cell phone.”

“Hey, I wasn’t done.”

“Oh, really? I thought you were.” She turned and looked at his kneeling frame in the tub. His dick had gotten soft. She pointed and he scowled.

“I require your help. My twenty-four hours aren’t up yet.”

Audray mustered up the meanest, blackest look she could find deep down in her soul. Peter almost moved back in fright when she presented it to him.

“As for my body, you own me for another four hours.” She leaned in to him, “But understand me when I say, the twenty-four hours were never yours. They were only mine to give, never yours to take.”

He smiled. Apparently he had some appetite for fighting. All the better, she thought. Another first, at last.

Three hours and fifty-nine minutes later, Peter checked the clock by the bed. Audray made him announce they had only a minute left. She saw in his eyes the ruination she was hoping for, the need building already.

“My sweet, sweet Peter. I am so sorry I was bad to you.”

“I like it that way,” he said. The black eye she’d given him two hours ago was healing already. It would be gone within the hour. The cut on his split lip from her ring might take a bit longer.

“Yes, I know you do. I have no messages. No one needs me this afternoon, or this evening.” She pushed out her lower lip, tilted her head to the side and peered through the jungle of her blond hair, then asked, “So, can I ask you for something?”

“You can,” he said as he raised his naked body, his elbows bracing his weight behind him as he rubbed her breast. They were lying stretched out on his fur coverlet. “Your skin is so soft. I have never felt such soft skin. Makes me want to bite you again.”

“You would have liked it when I was human. I bruised so easily. I had to be so careful all the time.”

“Oooh.” He pinched her nipple between his thumb and first two fingers. Audray felt the delicious pain and considered her options.

“What is it you want to ask for?”

“I have some specific needs…”

He drew himself close to her. She saw for just a second a man who wasn’t perhaps totally broken. Somewhere deeply buried inside was the making of something stronger than the boy she’d cradled over the last twenty-four hours.

“I can hardly wait,” he said into her face as he blew on her. She inhaled his scent, choosing to accept the pain and lust of his essence, and felt herself melt to his kiss.

“I like…I like…” she started, but stopped as he had kissed his way down her belly to her mound again. He wasn’t well endowed, but the man could use his tongue fairly well.

“Yes. You are free to go, Audray. I cannot hold you any longer; or at least, I shouldn’t.” He smiled and continued pleasuring her.

“I like the chemistry between us.” It was a lie, but the lie was erasing by the minute. “If I choose to give you another twenty-four hours, maybe occasionally come to your side as your willing concubine…”

“Yes?” he asked between licks of his tongue. She squeezed the hair in his scalp, and then forced his head down onto her sex as she spread her knees to the sides and presented herself to him.

“Would you save yourself for me?” she finished. Peter stopped for a moment. She didn’t move a muscle while she saw him thinking about something.

“You mean be exclusive?” he finally said.

“Yes. Both of us. Exclusive.”

“For how long?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Two weeks? Just for a trial.” 

“Trial for what? I don’t believe in marriage.”

She noticed how ridiculous he looked, her juices glistening on his chin, his hair curling at odd angles. There was that purple hickey on the inside of his neck, already turning colors but destined to be gone in a matter of minutes.

“You have plans to share your bed with someone else?” she asked.

She watched as Peter hesitated. She noted he wasn’t as comfortable lying as she was.
Good.
This was good to know.

Audray played the only card she had left. Her time was closing in around her. She lifted one leg over the top of his head and swung around the bed to get up. Peter grabbed her arm, restraining her from leaving.

“I haven’t given my answer yet,” he said, digging in his fingers, leaving red marks. She sunk back into the pillow and looked at the ceiling, as if bored.

He was kneeling at her side, his naked body sprouting from the fur coverlet.

“You would go back to square one all over again? The training?” he asked.

“Yes, but you must be
rougher
.”

“I can do rough,” he replied.

“I’m counting on it. Another twenty-four hours, and then exclusive for another two weeks? After that, no promises?”

“I might be able to do that.” He smiled down at her. “You would teach me to be rough with you, and you would be willing?”

Audray got up to a kneeling position in front of him. With both hands, she cupped his balls and cock and said, “Sir, it would be my pleasure,” then gave him a gentle squeeze.

She hoped it hurt.

Chapter 34

Melanie busied herself with her shop, booking wedding appointments, consulting with couples, and making a preorder for fall items, even though it was April. She found some fragrant lilies in unusual shades of deep rose and purple, as well as a new variety in pale green. She and Travis were busy; they hired one of Travis’s friends from school, Jennifer. Melanie was fairly sure Jennifer and Travis were an item. But she welcomed the extra help, especially since there was a war brewing that would consume some of her valuable time.

Her mother had been around to the shop, not once but twice since the party, something that rarely occurred and was of concern to Melanie. She did not like being on her mom’s radar screen, especially since the woman was fishing for information about Peter.

“Haven’t seen him, Mom. We didn’t go out, you know. He just took me home.” Melanie was arranging flowers she had picked up at the flower market in San Francisco early that morning.

“But I’m sure he’s called you, right?”

“No he hasn’t. Why do you say that?”

“Well, dear.” Her mother came over and brushed the golden curls off Melanie’s forehead. Melanie’s instinct was to duck at the touch of her mother’s fingers. Her mother delivered one of her infamous scowls.

“Mel, really. He’s quite a catch, don’t you think? I mean, compared to—well, Felix was just a boy and Peter is such a…such a man…”

“Mother, why don’t you date him, then?”

“Because he isn’t interested in me. He’s interested in you.” Georgia Worthington’s green eyes stared back at Melanie, without an ounce of emotion showing.

Melanie considered what this meant. Her mother hadn’t referred to the fact that dating Peter was something a married woman shouldn’t consider. She’d merely stated the facts: Peter wasn’t interested in her as a sexual partner. From what Melanie knew of the dark angel business, she guessed he’d already considered her mother a prime candidate for a life of immortality on the dark side. If true, Melanie had finally found something she could agree with Peter one hundred percent. She smiled at the thought.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” her mother blurted out.

“I was thinking about a conversation I had with him recently when he popped in here. I think he likes rape better than foreplay.”

“Melanie! That’s absurd.”

“Search your cougar heart, Mother. You know I’m telling the truth. I’m perfecting my judge of character. Someday perhaps I’ll be as good as you.”

“I’ve learned to do it to
survive
.”

“Yes, I would say you are that. A survivor.” Melanie shook her head and swept behind the counter. Travis began to help an older couple that had just entered the shop. Each tinkle of the bell sent Melanie’s heart racing, as she hoped to see the face of a dark man she knew she would never forget and hoped she wouldn’t have to.

“I think you should at least try. I understand he is very wealthy, and he isn’t bad looking.”

“Sounds like a perfect candidate. For you.”

“Humph,” her mother responded. She didn’t leave, but walked around the shop, touching leaves, checking prices, and examining the hanging blue tissue birds. This was not normal behavior. She wanted something, Melanie realized with dread.

“So, what’s going on, Mother? Why all the sudden interest in my love life?”

“Because he was asking so many questions. Your father and I thought he was interested in, you know,
courting
you.”

At this, Melanie was disgusted. She scrunched up her brow and forehead as she sneered. “Courting? Like in one of your novels? Spare me, please.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see your daughter taken care of, provided for.”

“I don’t trust him, plain and simple.”

“Why not? I mean, perhaps in time you could grow to be friends. My mother always told me it is just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one.”

“Depends on how he got rich, don’t you think?”

“Don’t take that tone with me. Your father has done very nicely for you.”

“I wasn’t talking about Father. I was talking about Peter. How well do you know him, really? Have you ever considered that perhaps he is just a very good con man, a gold digger?” Melanie saw her mother’s gaze drop. Yes, she was thinking about that, Melanie was sure of it.

“How well do we ever know anyone, really?” her mother answered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t get the same impression of him you do.”

That’s because your antennae is bent.
But Melanie could see her mother was more than a little concerned about something.

“Come on, Mom. This isn’t about me dating him, is it, really? Something else is going on. What is it?”

“Well, there is also the fact that he apparently has disappeared. Your father hasn’t seen him for two days. He doesn’t pick up his cell phone. We think something might have happened to him.”

If only. Wouldn’t it be great if all that was left of Peter were some charred remains tossed by the roadside somewhere?

But Melanie knew deep in her heart that she wasn’t that lucky.

Chapter 35

Josh sat in his car, considering whether or not he should go into the little shop. He opened and closed his door three times. He played his favorite CD, the viola music his dark friend Adam played. He tuned to the Afro-Celt music Melanie had recorded for him. He remembered listening to it in bed, while she cooked him breakfast.

One of those carefree days.

Of course all roads lead to Melanie. Everything that was good reminded him of her and her luscious body. But he had given his word, and it wasn’t but more than thirty-six hours since he’d promised to stay away for three days. He was only halfway there and couldn’t stand it any longer.

Cursing under his breath, he checked around him for signs Felix had come back. Josh suspected he was getting his knob good and polished in the Underworld. Then he’d come back and ask for forgiveness. Maybe it would be better for Felix if he stayed away altogether, Josh wondered. Now that he had the support of Claire and Daniel, perhaps the four of them were stronger than five.

But he didn’t like not knowing where the young dark angel had skulked off to. He hadn’t been at last night’s meeting. Biker Dude hadn’t seen him in the Underworld either. Felix was a loose end, and Josh didn’t need any of those right now.

An older attractive red-haired woman exited the flower shop. She had the look and smell similar to Melanie, and though he quickly glanced away, for one brief moment their eyes locked. Melanie’s mother. No doubt about it.

Her gaze roamed over him like she was trolling for souls, yet Josh knew she was human. He made the mistake of looking behind him after he passed her, and, sure enough, she had stopped and was doing a pretty good job of checking out his ass. Even in his human days, he wasn’t into the cougar thing. Had found it disgusting. No wonder Melanie hated her. He did too.

Josh decided it was safer to feign a need to go into the shop next door. Through the shop window, he could see Melanie’s mom took no further notice and was well on her way out of the parking lot.

At the garden gate to the flower shop’s courtyard, he saw Melanie bending over to water plants with a misting spray. Josh was getting used to the wet soil smell and no longer thought of it as rotting material but as nutrients to help things grow. He’d always loved roses, but now he loved the scent of lilies, stock, and even wet chrysanthemums.