My God you’d think he were transported here on a 747 rather than the Candace express. “And Nev?” I’m almost afraid to ask. Ezrina is going to slice me to ribbons if my mother saw fit to haul him back to paradise. Who’s going to rub her feet and do an ice cream run at midnight?Me—that’swho.
Pierce gives a quick glance over his shoulder. “He’s here somewhere. I’m just a traveler. Sort of like a temporary Visa holder. My cellular structure isn’t solid but I look every bit as strong as steel.” He pounds his chest like a gorilla and his hand goes right through his shirt, each and every time. “She thought it’d be okay since the mission was to expose our people. What better way to expose them than with a realliveghost?” Both Nat and he guffaw as if it were the most hilariousthing.
Oh my God. My mother has gone rogue. And the beauty of her demented,hauntedplan? She gets to pin it all on me. Shit. Justshit.
Pierce nods to someone in the back and gives a wild wave. “Man, it’s like old home week.” He lets out a whoop. “I’ll be right back.” He presses a rather wet kiss over Nat’s lips that looks anything butghostly.
“Don’t worry, he’s good, Skyla.” Nat frowns into the crowd as if he weren’t. “Especially good inbed.” She gives a hearty wink my way. “Turns out he can be as rock solid as the next guy when he has to. Plus, this way, we don’t need to use protection. I’ve never been so happy in all my life, and I owe it all to you. Really, I can’t thank youenough.”
“Whatever you do, don’t thank me.” My heart sinks for her. “I know how much Pierce and Kate mean to you, but they’ll have to go back into the box soon enough. This little interdimensional playdate can’t last forever. Once their mission is through, they’ll have to resume their dirtnap.”
Her lips rise to a scowl. “You really have a crap way with words, Messenger.” She shudders—most likely due to the reality that dirt nap just invoked. “But I just want you to know that you have a friend in me for life.” Her coffee-colored eyes hook to mine like she means it. “Anything you need, anytime. I’m there for you. If you’re ever in a bind, I’m the one you can counton.”
Chloe pops back up with a laugh caught in her throat. “And knowing Skyla, you’ll be on call twenty-fourseven!”
I glare at my faux best friend for a moment, and she’s quick to soberup.
“Thank you, Nat,” I say without taking my eyes off the malfeasance before me. “The first thing you can help me with is making sure Bishop stays away from me for the remainder of theevening.”
Her mouth opens as if to protest, but Nat is quick to whisk her away to the other end of the dance floor, and Emerson wastes no time in slamming her body into Chloe’s. I bet she’d like to bash her head in too for landing her on the other end of the great bodily divide in the first place. Anyway, once Holden gets within striking range, Chloe won’t be able to stay regardless. I realize that Chloe and I have our covenant to tend to, but tonight, with those wild rivers rushing between my thighs, the last person I want touching me is the vagina queenherself.
“Ms. Messenger.” The sexiest Sector on earth or in heaven pops up, and I’m stunned by his blessed by Godlooks.
My body bucks on cue, and I latch onto Marshall with my eyes shut tight and feel that electrical current rush from his body to mine. And oddly, quite shockingly, I can’t seem to bring myself to the brink of this sexualdisaster.
“You’re losing your touch.” I frown up at him as a breath hitches in my throat. “Marshall Dudley.” I pull back to take him in, and I can’t help but gasp. “You are resplendent tonight.” That visual Chloe planted in my head with me utilizing Marshall like a sit and spin takes over, and my breathing is right back to borderlineerratic.
“Skyla.” Marshall pulls me into a partial embrace as we begin to sway to “Careless Whisper”. “Dare I say I look my usual self. Above average without saying so, of course, but what pray tell has you so absorbed by mypresence?”
“I’m in desperate need of some sexual healing.” My cheek rubs over his rock-hard chest, and I give a little whimper. “It’s all these damn hormones bottlenecking in my vagina just begging to shoot out like a Roman candle on the Fourth of July.” Damn Kegels, too, but I leave that demented exercise out of the equation fornow.
“Language.”
“Technically,vaginais an anatomical term, popularized this evening by the big clitoris herself, Chloe.” I wince up at him. “More anatomy,sorry.”
He lets out a heavy sigh as he scans the crowd, his fingers press into my back ever so slightly, and it feels like a most welcome relief. Ineedto be touched, to belicked, and suckled in a fit of lust andpassion.
“I can hear you,” herumbles.
“I was hoping.” My tongue does a quick revolution over my lips as I look up at him and, dear God! Why am I doing my best to seduceMarshall?
“I am your husband,” he’s quick to point out. His chest adheres close to mine. It’s so heavily sculpted I can make out the hard ridges of his abs from beneath his dress shirt. “And I do have a talent for spinning women over my lap.” His lids grow heavy, his lips curve into a devilish grin. “I’ve been known to bend a fewovermy lap aswell.”
“Let me guess.” My voice trembles out in a wave full of quivers. “They used to call youThePunisher?” The thought of Marshall doling out corporal punishment incites an extraordinary level of excitement in me. “I guess this is the part where I tell you I’ve been a very, very badgirl.”
His lips turn down, making him look far too comely forwords.
“You don’t need to tell me, Skyla. I’m witness to the event myself.” His eyes flit into the thicket of bodies next to us. “The great corpse revival is evidence of such wayward behavior. And answer me this.” His gaze hardens over mine. This gruff, down and deliciously dirty version of my favorite Sector is alarmingly attractive. “All of these resurrections and where is yourfather?”
And just like that, my lady boner disappears. “Why are you dragging my father into this?” I give his ribs a quick pinch. “My father has been through enough.” It’s true. I had entertained the idea. A quick visit to L.A. to the cemetery that houses his remains is all that stands between the great beyond and having him here on Paragon with me. “I don’t know what they’ll do to them.” Tears come to my eyes as I glance out at the crowd mostly comprised of long past souls. “But they’re brave for volunteering. I’m not sure I would have chosen that option myself.” I could only ask the question. It was the Holy Spirit who quickened them to respond. “They know the risks.” My voice flounders as if questioning if I knew them at all. “And because of their bravery, my people will be sheltered for a very realshitstorm.”
“Mmm…” Marshall muses in agreement rather than calling me out on the expletive. “Those you fear—they’re here tonight, Skyla. Watching you.” That drugged look in his eyes melts over me. Marshall has a way of making you feel as if you are the only person he sees. “They blend in so seamlessly, but they are thirsty for alien blood— Nephilimblood.”
“Aliens.” I mean to shake my head at the idea, but I shudder instead. “Wes has the planet so primed for some takeover from space, the world practically demands it at this point. It’s soabsurd.”
“It’s the unknown, Skyla.” His fingers stroke my sides, sailing lower still, dangerously close to my quaking thighs. “It’s the thought of what could be, how quickly they can come.” He leans in, burying his mouth so close to my ear the entire left side of my face burns from his heat. “Imagine being penetrated quickly, invaded, while you lie open and vulnerable, being taken so violently, by force, bent to do their bidding while they ravish all you own, while they sink their mouth deep into the nexus ofyour—”
A body interjects itself between us, but it’s too late as my body explodes into one uncontrivablequiver.
