Page 55 of Far From Center
He tilted his head, regarding her in surprise. “Of course. Why? Is that a problem? I thought you didn’t have the normal human issues regarding your natural state or your unclothed body, and it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. It’s not like I have touched and tasted just about every inch of you. Go. Clothes off. Now.”
She caught her breath, remembering how very thorough he’d been in exploring her body this morning. A massage would feel really good right now. Sex would feel even better. She carefully pulled her feet from his lap and stood, pulling her shirt over her head and dropping her shorts. Then she unstrapped her bra on the way to the bedroom, kicking off her underwear before climbing onto the bed and glancing back at the angel.
He was following behind her, picking up each item of discarded clothing and folding it neatly, then stacking it on top of the dresser. Why was it even his crazy neat-freak tendencies turned her on, giving her a warm feeling in her chest every time he organized her sock drawer or changed the toilet paper so it rolled from the top down. He was so adorable, and she was so much in love that his folding her clothes was making her breathless. She grinned and waited for him to finish, for his attention to return to her, then positioned herself face-down on the bed.
Then his hands were on her shoulders, kneading and soothing the tense muscles. She sighed, relaxing into his touch, letting her mind wander. He was slow and meticulous, starting gentle, then massaging progressively deeper, stretching and rubbing as he made his way down her back. She fell into a near meditative state, floating as all she could think of was the feel of his warm hands on her skin.
And something more. As he reached her middle back, Nyalla began to feel everything inside herself light up, as if he were massaging more than her muscles, as if he were somehow electrifying her neural pathways. She’d been turned on thousands of times, but this was different. This was as if her entire body and soul were reaching for him, were vibrating with his every touch. She sighed, feeling her back arch as he began to work her buttocks.
Oh Goddess, he was rubbing her butt. And it felt amazing. It felt a whole lot more amazing when he reached over and kissed her back.
And now she was wet, her breath coming in shallow pants, her hips rising to meet his palms as he touched the muscles of her upper thighs. This was the best massage ever. Well it would be the best massage ever if it went the way she wanted it to.
“Do I get a happy ending?” she murmured.
“Like in a fairy tale? Like in the pirate book?” His thumbs caressed the inside of her thighs, brushing upwards along her folds.
All she could do was whimper and lean into his fingers. A little further. If only he would stroke her there, push his fingers into her, bend down and run his tongue across her. If only.
But no. Tease. Horrible, horrible tease of an angel. His hands moved down the back of her thighs along her calves, working the muscles in her feet before moving in long firm strokes back up to her shoulders.
“Roll over.”
She wanted to, but she was a weird combination of relaxed and turned-on. The idea of him caressing her breasts and across her belly had her squirming so she did as he told her. “Are you going to want to go to sleep after this, or are you going to get naked and climb into this bed and so we can screw?”
He ran a hand lightly down her side. “Itislate. And I can feel how relaxed you are. Why don’t we just go to sleep?”
She would have taken him seriously except for the silver glint in his eyes. “I’m far from relaxed. Actually I’m relaxed but I want you more than I want sleep.”
He hesitated a little smile quirking up one corner of his mouth. When he finally spoke, his voice was husky and full of longing. “Then perhaps we can continue the massage another time.”
Yes! She grinned up at him. “Perhaps we can continue the massage with you naked and in bed with me.”
He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving hers. “Nyalla…I feel myself becoming more of an angel. Terrelle thinks that I’ll probably be back to full strength in a week or two. What then? Will you even want this with an angel? The Iblis and I can’t be in a room together without fighting, and she’s the closest thing you have to a mother. This won’t be like a happy family sort of ending. It won’t be like the small-town cop and hippy herbalist romance where both families bond over holiday dinners.”
“I don’t need holiday dinners, and Sam…well she’ll get over it. Eventually. When we finally get around to telling her. Gabe, I want you. I want to be with you forever. Now get your clothes off and make love to me.”
“You’ll age while I’ll appear exactly the same. Things will change so fast for you and you’ll be committed to an archangel who measures time on a galactic scale.”
There was a note of fear in his voice, and she realized that as much as she didn’t care about any of this, he did. He’d have to watch her grow old and die. And he’d continue to live for millions, possibly billions, of years without her. The thought made her chest ache, but that was a fact no one could change.
“Gabe, I realize that I have a ridiculously short life span compared to you. For me, what happens in the moment is sometimes good enough. When I see a gorgeous sunset, I don’t spend my time lamenting that in a few minutes it will be gone. I immerse myself in the beauty, and enjoy the moment. I know you would love to have me with you, physically or otherwise, for the rest of your life. But don’t walk away from experiencing the most beautiful sunset of your life because you know that it will end all too soon.”
There was a glimmer of pain in his eyes, quickly hidden. “But when I need to take care of Ruling Council matters… I’m an archangel, Nyalla. I have responsibilities that may take me away for weeks or months at a time. That will seem like brief moments to me, but an eternity to you. I don’t want–”
She sat up and put her finger to his lips. “Your brother and Sam manage. We will, too. Don’t underestimate me, Gabe. Never underestimate me.”
“I never would.” His eyes shifted to a dark blue gray. “And I would be honored to spend all of your life next to you Nyalla, if you’re completely sure.”
She smiled. “I’m more than sure. All I want right now is to be in your arms, and for you to make love to me. Promise that you won’t second guess this thing between us or worry about hurting me, because I love you and nothing is going to change that.”
“I love you too, Nyalla.” He crossed his arms, grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. “And I promise.”
