Page 78 of Baking and Angels

“It’s a queen. We’ll be fine,” Charlie agreed. Then he looked up at Rafferty. For a second, Rafferty thought their eyes met, but then he realized he was looking at the area around his eye. Where his husband had hit him. “I’m so sorry he did that to you.”

“You are not responsible for what he does,” Rafferty countered. He just meant it factually, but Charlie looked like he was about to burst into more tears.

“You aretoo kind.”

Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat, then bent to pick up his little dog, who had come over to set a paw against his leg. “I didn’t even know he knew how to throw a punch,” herepeated.

“Oh, honey,” Cindy said, rubbing his back. “Everyone can throw a punchbut you.”

Making a choking sound, Charlie let out a broken laugh, much to Rafferty’ssurprise.

Then they all laughed. It was infectious so much so that even Rafferty, who found no real humor in the situation, couldn’t fight back a grin with some small chuckles. It tickled all the way into his belly, and somehow everything was lighter and easier when it died down.When is the last time I laughed like this?Some distant part of him knew he must have, for he recognized it for what it was.

As it died away, Charlie’s shoulders dropped as if the laughter had relieved his great burden. “You are right, Helena. You have a deal.”

A shiver ran down Helena, and she closed her eyes as she felt it.

Rafferty’s throat tightened. He had let his guard down, and she had done it. She had bound her friend to a deal. Just like…

But why did he care? These weren’t his friends, they were hers. He had chosen to accept her and guard her secrets, so…

I’m not responsible for what she does,a rebellious thought echoed back at him.

“You okay?” Cindyasked her.

Immediately, Helena’s eyes snapped open. “I am so sorry. This has been… well it has been a day. So much has happened that I would love to tell you about, but we need to go to bed soon, and I—”

“Oh God, yes. Go ahead. Go to bed. I didn’t even realize what time it was,” Charlie said, flipping into a mode that seemed closer to his nature. “We can take care of ourselves, don’t wait on us. We can make our own food and everything, just go to bed. Go.” Cindy nodded agreement as he shooed them out of the kitchen.

Rafferty went willingly. This whole situation made him incredibly uncomfortable as he beat it all the way back to Helena’s bedroom.

As soon as he passed though the entryway, he whirled back to her.

“How could you—” was all he got out as the door shut behind her, and she attacked him.

The force of her grab shoved him back several steps. He kept stumbling until his back slammed against the wall with a definitive thump.

“What—”

Then her lips were on his. They devoured him. Heat knifed through him and went straight to his groin. A moan rumbled from his throat. Gasping, the kiss broke, and she was at the buttons of his shirt. He was still wearing his coat, and the buttons gave way quickly enough so she could slide the whole thing off hisshoulders.

Another protest was choked out as her lips went for his throat. Her tongue and teeth nipped and sucked, setting his nerves on fire to shoot down his spine. Her hands washed over his skin, feeling every inch of his ribs and the muscles of his chest down to his stomach. They then teased just above the waistband of his pants, and he ached for her to go further. She then abandoned his neck to stick her tongue fully into his ear. Another cry squeaked out that he barely strangled back. Her friends would hear, and he couldn’t… why couldn’t he…?

As delicious sensations erupted from her ministrations, his knees went water-weak, bringing him down and even more accessible toher power.

Then, all at once, she stepped back, her warmth leaving him cold. To prevent himself from falling over, he braced his hands against the wall, panting.

To his shock, she was naked. She hadn’t stripped her clothes off, he would have noticed that at least, but she stood before him as she truly was. Her wings framed her on either side of her form, her skin glittering white gold with dusky golden edges. The peaks of her breasts captivated his gaze entirely, the cream and golden edging making him think them twice-baked meringues. His appetite to devour them ached tohis core.

Helena laughed, the haloed horns on her head sweeping her rose-gold hair from her face. She set her fists on her bare hips, smirking and elegant where he and his disheveled clothing were a mess.

With twinkling eyes, she then pointed to the ground before her. “Kneel, mortal,” she said, teasing music inher voice.

He was headed there anyway, so he let go of all resistance and dropped to the ground before her. It was then he realized her legs were slightly parted, and he was captivated by the rose-gold hair of her sex. A longing to bury his face there filled him. A small voice in his head told him she was doing this, playing his emotions like a fiddle, but nothing else within him cared. She was hungry; she had to be from all the power she expended that day, and he washer meal.

The same fingers that commanded him came closer to slip through his dark hair. A shiver of ecstasy at the touch washed through him, and his mouth opened in another uninhibited moan.

“It’s alright. I won’t let them hear us. Sing out for me,” she whispered, taking another step closer as her other hand cupped the other side. His head swirled with sensation and he didn’t care. Then she gripped the back of his skull—a sharp pain of pulled hair, sweet and primal, as she drew his mouth down toward her waiting sex. And he opened it eagerly, parting her lips with his tongue.

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