His lips were velvet against mine. One taste. One kiss with my angel and I can go.
My angel?
He’s not mine. He belongs to God. Or at least to the celestial realm. And I belong to the Blade until my last breath. A breath I’m terrified will come all too soon.
Every second we spend together, I want more. How much longer until I can’t walk away?
“Willow, you do not know what you do to me.” His voice rumbles in his chest, deep and smooth.
What I do to him?
He’s settingmeon fire. With every touch, I lose another piece of myself. The first rays of morning’s light seep through a crack in the curtains. I have to run soon. Leaving him won’t be easy. Getting away will be even harder. But if I don’t, AURA won’t just come after me. They’ll set their sights on him too.
I wrap my arms around Gabriel’s neck. It’s been so long since anyone’s held me. I don’t remember the last time I went on a date. Two years? Three? My job was all I cared about. All I needed. God, I was so stupid.
When our lips meet, the world falls away. I ache to get closer, but the blanket traps my legs. His tongue teases mine. Finding the hem of his shirt, I yank it up until I can reach his skin. He’s so warm. Hard ridges of muscle flex at my touch.
A low growl builds in his throat. I could live in his scent. Do all angels smell so damn good? Our kisses turn desperate. I find his nipple and skate my nails over the sensitive skin.
I feeleverything. The goosebumps racing over his abs. His lips trailing down the curve of my neck. His heart beating in time with mine. His hard length pressing against my ass. My fingers close over the button on his pants.
“No!” The word escapes as a snarl, and the haze of desire clears in an instant.
I jerk back. Humiliation crawls up my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have?—”
“Fuck.” Gabriel eases me back down to the bed so gently, I want to cry. “You did nothing wrong.Nothing.” He backs away, turns, and adjusts himself with a groan. “I want you, Willow. With all that I am. But if I give in…I could hurt you. Or…worse.”
The sting of rejection eases a fraction. Regret pours off him in waves. “You wouldn’t hurt me,” I whisper. “I’m not sure of anything else in my life right now, Gabriel. But I’m sure of that.”
He runs a hand through his hair, pulling on the dark strands. I shove at the blankets and swing my legs over the side of thebed. My blood pressure bottoms out, but I don’t care. I have to touch him.
The world goes soft as I get to my feet, but I force a deep breath and stagger over to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist from behind, I press my cheek to his shoulder.
“I’m not asking for forever. Or even a day.”
He turns, his hands sliding down my back to cup my ass. His amber eyes hold endless depths of need. “Whatareyou asking for,deliciae?”
“Just an hour to be…me. Or hell. Five minutes. I’m scared, Gabriel. Once I find the Blade?—”
He frowns. “What blade?”
Shit.
“Forget you heard that. Please.” Even as I say the words, I know he won’t. He can’t. He cares about me—despite not knowing a thing about me.
“Willow. What blade?” His warm fingers skim the back of my neck until he tangles them in my hair. “Talk to me. I can help.”
“You can’t. No one can.” I sniffle and swipe at the tears welling in my eyes. “Hannah and Isaac…they’ll find me. And when they do, they’ll force me to find the Blade. To wield it. I can’t let that happen.”
Gabriel
I tighten my fingers in Willow’s hair. “Angels can sense human emotions. One of our manygifts. But today, it is a curse. You are terrified. Whatever you are planning…you do not have to do it alone.”
“Yes, I do.” She tries to wriggle free, planting her palms against my chest for leverage, but she is no match for my strength—or my determination to protect her. “Let go. Please.”
The tremble in her voice—along with her plea—is like a dagger to my heart. I release her, and take two steps back. “You said you trusted me. Is that still true?”
I sense her struggle. A part of her does. Completely. But is it enough?
