Death Knows My Name (Memory Keepers) (6 page)

Chapter 5

When I got back to the table, Tammy was alone.

“Tammy, I am so sorry. I’m a bitch. You can say it.” I frowned.

Tammy laughed. “Oh shush, you. Obviously something is going on that I, as a stranger, have no clue about. So forget it. Michael, on the other hand, got tired of waiting and left.”

I shrugged. “Ah, well, for the best. I was hoping you two would hit it off.”

“What are you talking about? That boy goes all moon eyes over you, but I can tell there is someone else though, right?” she asked and leaned forward.

I hesitated. I guess too long, because she started bopping happily.

“I KNEW IT! There is someone else.” She beamed at me.

I ran my hand through my hair. “There is kind of someone else. Not really, but yeah.”

I shook my head, confused.

Tammy giggled. “Yup, that’s how it always is.” She bobbed her head knowingly. “Are we doing another round?

I stood up. “What are you drinking? I’ll buy us pitchers.”

“Yeah right, that’s an easy offer since you don’t pay!”

“Yup. I’m very generous.” I grinned and she returned it. Making out with Eric had put me in a good mood, or it could have been the beer.

“I’m going to accept your offer, though. I’ll have Bud Light.”

“You got it, lady.” I nodded. I returned shortly with two pitchers, a Bud Light for Tammy and Coors Light for me. By the end of the night and the bottom of our pitchers, there was a lot of giggling going on.

I liked Tammy. She was a little too bubbly and prone to talk way too much, but a sweetheart. We were about ready to go so I had Stan call Tammy a cab and told him to make sure she got in it safely. This included threatening the cabby’s life if anything happened to her.

“Okay, Tammy, I’m going to see you later.” We hugged and I headed for the door.

“Need me to get you a cab?” It was Billy.

“No, I should be fine. I’m not too wasted. I just live a little ways down.” Besides, Death is my stalker.
Who’s gonna mess with me?
I thought with a chuckle, which made Billy raise a brow at me.

“Maybe I should call the boss?”

“Don’t you even call Devon.”

He grabbed me in a hug before I took off down the street. I barely turned the corner when Eric stepped out of the shadow and took his place beside me.

I felt him eyeing me.

“What?” I demanded.

“You are an adorable drunk,” he said with a cute grin.

“Funny, but I’m not drunk, although I am having naughty thoughts of ripping your clothes off.”

Eric stopped.

“Okay, maybe I am a little drunk,” I conceded.

Eric laughed and started walking again.

By the time we reached my door, I was swimming in my drunkenness. I handed him the keys after a few minutes of not being able to see straight enough to use them. He unlocked my door, pushed it open, and stepped aside for me to enter. I turned to see if he was going to come in too.

“I think I am just going to kiss you good night and go home.” He bent and kissed my lips.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him in behind me. He kicked closed the door before he reached back to lock it. I fell back on the recliner. His weight pressed against me a second later.

It wasn’t as romantic and passionate as the night before. I was drunk. I tugged on his clothes, wanting them out of the way before abandoning the effort to shed mine. I kicked my sneakers off and started wiggling out of the tight work pants. He grabbed my hips and stilled me. Lifting up, he gave the pants a tug. They flung to the floor. He leaned back, lips on mine. Our hunger and greed crashed and claimed one another. His nimble fingers worked the buttons on the coffee stained shirt I wore and it fell open. His kiss trailed down my neck and chest before teeth nipped at the green satin bra. His arms reached around and snapped it off. I squirmed in anticipation as my hands roamed his back. The straps slid down my shoulder. Once off, the material fell to the ground forgotten. He caught a nipple in his mouth with a tease from his tongue. I moaned, my back arching into him and his hands tightened around my waist as if in response.

He whispered, “Let me know if I am hurting you. I might hold you too tight.”

“It’s good, you are good.” My words, soft as air.

He let one hand dip beneath my panties and a finger found its way down to my pleasure button, already slick with wetness as he made soft sensuous circles on it.

I bucked toward him as pleasure tingled throughout my body. I was on the verge of a climax when my phone rang. I whined. Then the ringing stopped, leaving nothing but the rush of my own pulse as I fell over the cliff to ecstasy. My arms reached around Eric and I held him close. He was warm and solid against me. I closed my eyes and just let myself flow on the ebbing climax.

My body started to return to normal, and I kissed him. His tongue teasing mine made me want to feel him inside me, deeply, filling every part of me. I lifted his shirt over his head, throwing it toward the door. The sleeve caught on the knob. I slid down to the floor and perched on my knees. I reached for his belt buckle and released it, Eric’s eyes on me watched my every move. I slid his belt from his pants in a singular motion and let it fall. I unbuttoned his pants and slid my hand inside. He was rock solid, and I yearned to feel him on my lips and tongue. I gripped his shaft firm and stroked. He moaned deep. His head fell back as I released him from his pants.

My mouth met him. His breath sharpened, his hand winding into my hair with a tug. In long, suctioning strokes I took him into my mouth. His body tensed in pleasure. His fingers tightened, and he pulled my hair. My lips moved off of him as his body trembled. Finishing the job with my hands, his length spasmed in my grip. He groaned as he erupted. I didn’t stop until I’d milked every drop.

He helped me up and pressed me tight against him. We fell back against the recliner, and his breath slowed. I snuggled in and closed my eyes. I dipped into sleep with his arms wound around me.

Pounding on my front door woke me up. I tried to sit up, but Eric pulled me back down and held me against him. I smiled into his chest as I pressed my lips to it in a kiss.

“I have to get that.” He nodded and loosened his grip.

I squirmed away and headed for the door.

“You might want to put something on,” Eric murmured.

I swung around and saw a devilish smile on his face. He was very pleased with himself. I could see it written all over his face and in his posture.

“Oh yeah, guess I should.” I snatched up the closest article of clothing, which happened to be Eric’s T-shirt hanging haphazardly from the doorknob. I ducked my head into it. The bottom edge hit just about the middle of my thigh.

“What?” I asked as I yanked the door open. Devon.

“Why the hell aren’t you answering your phone!”

“I was sleeping.” I shrugged.

“Stan and Billy called. They said you left drunk. Why didn’t you call me to get you home?”

“Obviously I got home safely. I’m here,” I said with a laugh.

He tried to peek around me. “You got someone in there?”

I gestured to my outfit and I heard Eric say “yes” from behind me. I tried, and failed miserably, not to smile.

Devon leaned into me, and I knew Eric stirred at the motion.

“Who is this guy? They said you left the bar alone.”

“Are you spying on me, Devon?” I laughed. “I found him on the street and decided to take him home.”

He glared at me. “Not funny, but since you refuse to answer, just answer your phone next time.” I nodded my agreement as he continued his lecture. “I would let you kiss me bye, but I am not entirely sure, actually, I am all too sure where those lips have just been.”

I shoved him. “Be quiet!” I closed the door laughing.

Eric had pulled his pants on. “I think you may need a new phone.” He smiled as he held up a crushed phone.

“What the heck, Eric.”

I grabbed my phone.

“Hey, you wanted it to stop. So it stopped,” he said simply and shrugged one shoulder unapologetically.

“Um, there is the ignore button,” I huffed.

“They kept calling back. And that ringtone you’ve got has to be the most unsexy ringtone in the world.”

“Turn the power off then don’t crush it.”

“Like I can think with you moaning sooo seductively in my ear.” His voice purred as he stood in front of me. “Now that you are sober, I can take further advantage of you without any guilt.” He plucked at the collar of his shirt.

“I was sober enough last night that you shouldn’t feel any guilt, but drunk enough to do things that won’t happen again.” I winked at him.

“I already told you, I am not going to give you what we both know you want until you admit how badly you want it.” He slowly started to pull his shirt from me.

“What are you doing?” I asked in shocked exasperation.

“This is mine, and I do need it back,” he continued. “The view is just a bonus.” His hand brushed across my belly as he slid the shirt completely off me.

My body shivered in response to his eyes taking me in. Damn, I did want him. I took a step from him and his strong hand caught me around the waist. I was flattened against him. Damn it, our bodies fit together perfectly. He was rock solid against my soft curves. My body wanted to melt. His head dipped and kissed me softly. I wanted him to deepen it. I wanted him to re-awaken every single thing inside of me. But he broke our kiss all too soon.

“Thank you. Duty calls.” He came back in for another kiss, and as our lips met, his turned into a whisper and he was gone. I stood there alone, longing to have his warmth back against me.

I reached for my shirt. I began to button it up, sad that Eric was gone and because of what his “duty” actually meant. Then I realized. Last night I slept, and I dreamed.

Chapter 6

After my initial euphoria of last night’s climax, I realized how stupid I was for what I had done. Had I really just been intimate with Eric, the Angel of Death? I smacked my palm against my forehead.
Great, Mayne, just freaking great.

Normally, in the past, I’d erase one stupid hook-up by doing something equally or more stupid. The only thing that would top the Eric Fellatio-slash-finger bang would be to chase down Devon and insert peen into nearest hole.
Ewl
. I shivered. I was so not going to do that.

Though, if rumors were true, Devon made sex an art form. His conquests, which is what they were since Devon never stuck around much longer than the climax, would grin even at the mention of his name. I shook my head. That boy is going to be in a world of trouble when he finally wants to settle down and no girl wants to because of his slut-dom. Even with the threat of a good time or even to erase this latest mistake, the thought of Devon and me seemed skeevie and a bit incestuous.

No, I had to handle this like a big girl. If only I were into masturbation, I wouldn’t be walking around like a ticking, horny bomb, and I wouldn’t have jumped Eric the very second I was tipsy. But I did enjoy it. I found myself smiling at the replay that was going on in my mind.

“Ugh! Stop it,
Mayne
!” I again slapped my forehead and flopped dramatically backward on the recliner. But I couldn’t help it. Me, my chair, hell my entire apartment smelled of him. It was a subtle, deliciously warm scent that wrapped around me.

I could picture his serious eyes warm with a hidden smile as they often did whenever I spoke to him. I knew I was falling for him. I couldn’t help myself. Hell, I wanted him. I know it’s wrong, but if I put distance between us to halt this gigantic mistake it would hurt me too much. Worse, it would hurt him too much.

My heart squeezed at the idea of causing him any pain. The thought of him in pain made me want to punch something or anyone that caused that pain. Yeah, I had it bad.

Sleeping in his arms last night hadn’t helped my infatuation. It had been too long since I had slept next to someone. Solid and warm man pressed at my back. And the dreams. When was the last time I had dreamed, I couldn’t remember. Long enough to have had forgotten what it felt like. Until last night. If Eric brought me dreams, maybe he was worth trying to see where this would lead.

I took a shower, reluctantly. I hated to wash his smell off, and I was aware of how pathetic that made me. I didn’t want to wash away the memories of his touch on my skin. I knew I could never let it go any further, but I still wanted to keep how it had felt to have someone beside me forever in my mind. How it felt to sleep and dream. The vividness of the dreams I’d experienced stuck with me. They were silly little things, but I treasured them. I had a break from the remembrances that normally plagued my sleep.

I dressed quickly and made my way to the coffee shop. I promised Devon I would come in to help with this quarter’s books. My hair was piled on top of my head in a loose and sloppy bun and I could already feel rogue curls springing free. It was a dry, crisp day and leaves crunched under my booted feet that matched my gray sweater perfectly. I loved fall. The clothes were much cuter than summer’s semi-nude look. I tugged my scarf a little tighter around my neck and snuggled my chin deeper into it to keep the bite of the cold from my face.

I opened the door and greeted some regular customers. One figure stood out to me. Michael. I half sighed and half groaned then I headed over to him.

“So I suppose I owe you an apology.”

He cocked his head at me. “Do you?”

“I am aware I may have come off as rude last night.” I sat down across from him without an invitation.

“People usually do when they are being rude.” He returned to his scribbled-on leaf of paper.

I laughed. “Okay. I tried.” I stood up and went to find Devon. It’s not like I was extremely rude to the guy. It wasn’t even me who invited him with us. I shrugged and let myself into Devon’s office. It took him a few seconds to finally look up from his work. I took a seat across from him.

“How was it?” he asked me with a dopey grin on his face.

I fought to hold in my telling smile. “Nothing really happened,” I said with a shrug.

“Yeah, because when I ‘nothing’ with a girl she always ends up in nothing but my T-shirt, too,” he finished with a smirk.

“I mean it was a good nothing. I really am not comfortable talking about this with you, Devon.” I tried not to blush.

“Since when? Wait, you must like this guy!” I banged my head down on his desk with a dramatic groan as he continued. “Who is this guy? Is he the guy from the lounge?”

“No,” I said from the desk. “I am pretty sure that guy hates my guts and my outsides as well. You don’t know him. Hell, I don’t know the guy.”

“Sit up,” he snapped. I obeyed, and he looked into my eyes, concern darkening his. “Tell me he is not bad news.”

I put my head back on the desk face down. “The worst.”

I was walking home. It was late and dark. Even though it still made me edgy, I had grown less afraid of the dark since meeting Eric, so I no longer minded being held up late at work. It was a comfort knowing what was most likely the worst thing lurking in the dark and wanting to share your bed with him.

“Oh, Eric is not the worst of us who lurk out here.”

I froze. The voice came from the shadows that surrounded me. Should I even bother to run? Would it even matter?

“Absolutely not.” His voice held a cocky confidence.

For a weak moment, I thought about calling out to Eric and praying he’d hear me. The moment passed, and the feeling of weakness pissed me off.

“So you can read my mind. What a neat trick.”
Fuck you, you cocky prick
, I thought at him.

Laughter rang out as a tall and slender figure emerged from the nearest shadow. He was just an arm’s length from me. I took in his hard face and froze. My mind screamed run. Fear kept me planted. His eyes were nothing like Eric’s warm honey ones. They were sharp, blue, unfeeling, and ruthless. His eyes trained on my face, and I gulped. He was the guy from the bar with the ice eyes.

“I can’t really read your mind, just when there is extreme emotion involved. Fear?” He nodded as he added, “Along with feistiness. I can see why Eric might be tempted to risk it all for someone such as yourself.”

“What? Risk? What risk?” I forgot about my fear and it was replaced with a deeper fear—for Eric. I balled up my fist stepping toward the stranger.

“Are you threatening him?”

He held up his hands in front of him in mock surrender. “Woah.” He laughed. “Your fight is not with me. He is my kin. I do not intend him harm. I can see, obviously, neither do you. But, alas, regardless of intent, one of us will cause him harm. He will fall from his grace.”

“H-how? Who?”

“The lust you two share. You will be the cause of his fall.” He said it with a sneer.

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course not, you are human, the worst of the mortals. He is a Servant of God, highest of the celestials. It is forbidden.”

“But last night-”

“Were the two of you intimate?” The shout, sharp in the dark.

I flinched and took an involuntary step backward.

“No. We just, no,” I answered, ignoring his invasion of Eric’s privacy.

“I will not see another of my own destroy himself for something so fleeting as a human.” He wasn’t looking at me as he spoke.

“What if I said it’s none of your business?”

His eyes fell on me like the entire weight of the sky was pushing down.

“I have made it my business. You do not want me as an enemy, woman,” he said, his tone as nasty as a curse.

I matched him sneer for sneer. “You actually think I’m afraid of you, don’t you?”

“If you were smart, you would not only be afraid, you would heed my warning.”

“Oh, is that what this is?” I looked up to the starless sky, feigning thought. “Nope.” I interrupted the silence I’d created. “I can’t remember ever being thought of as smart. Wait. No, that was a smart
ass
.”

I smirked as his frustration showed on his face. He looked as though he wanted to strangle me. I did not falter or let him gain any more ground against me. I held my stance. My hands were still balled tight as I braced for an attack. I thought I knew what imminent death felt like if this was any indication.

I held his gaze too long and I saw the eyes of a murderer looking back at me. The visions I saw within them made me wobble and almost lose balance. I saw men come out of an alleyway to surround a tall, handsome man. My man. My Dante.

The scene was of the past. My past! The night Dante didn’t come home to me. I stumbled back, trying to retreat, but the vision held me. I tried squeezing my eyes shut against the evil attack on my mind and the slicing headache but it was in vain. Nothing kept out the intruding memories. I brimmed with hatred, but more than that, extreme pain and sorrow filled me. Weighing me down, threatening to flatten me.

“You evil son of a bitch,” came out as a whimper even as I tried to shout it. I watched my love lying on the ground, choking on his own blood. Booted feet were coming toward me. Only then did I realize I was on the ground. I skittered backward until I found my back literally up against a wall.

“Remember, when the time comes, make sure Eric does his job, or I will. And you obviously don’t like the way I do things. Death always gets its soul.” The boots faded as the wind hissed what sounded like a name.