Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (83 page)

found himself missing Anson and his smiles, the sounds of his

laughter, the way he shrugged his shoulders when he grew

embarrassed about something he said and didn’t mean to.

The door opened and he looked into those dark eyes twinkling at

him, and Devon almost lost control. He wanted nothing more than to

back the little angel into the unit, against the wall, where he’d hold

Anson’s hands above his head, his bigger body pressing against

Anson’s and kissing him until he passed out. Devon didn’t realize

how attracted he was to the angel until Anson stood at the door with a

happy look on his face.

“Good afternoon, Devon. It’s a pleasure to see you. Please, won’t

you come in?”

“It is very good to see you, Anson. Is Gordon about?”

Anson opened the door wider and looked behind him, then looked

back at Devon. “He is in the back, working on my agenda for the

upcoming days. Why? Did you want to see him instead?”

Devon saw the smile drop a bit and felt sorrow in his heart. Why

would he feel that? And why was Anson upset? “Oh, no. No, I want to

see you. I just didn’t want to break his rules and get you into trouble.”

“Oh, I’m always in trouble. I spend a lot of time on my knees

thinking of how I got that way and how I won’t get that way again.

Though, it really doesn’t work. Gordon thinks I’m impossible most

days, but I really don’t mean to be. One time he had me walk the

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perimeter of our lot for a full day to see if I could wear off some of

my extra energy.” Devon’s raised eyebrows asked what his mind or

mouth didn’t. “No, it didn’t work, so now he forces me to sit still to

unwind. I don’t think that works either, but he does, and since he’s the

teacher, he knows best. Oh! I’m terribly sorry. I have yet to invite you

in. Please, come in. I’m sorry if I seem a bit flighty. Well, more than

the usual, at least. I guess I’m surprised to see you since we hadn’t

made definite plans for the evening. I’ll just go and let Gordon know

you’re here.”

“No, wait. I would like to be alone with you for a little while. I’m

not that comfortable around too many people, and I’d like to get to

know you a little better, if that’s okay?”

Anson’s face lit up. “Well, I’m sure it’s okay. He is here, so we

won’t be alone. Would you like to start by having a look around? I

have some of my paintings displayed throughout our unit, if you’d

like to see them?”

“I would love to see them. I can’t draw a straight line to save

myself, so I certainly admire someone with your talent.”

Anson closed the door and led Devon into the living area, pointing

at a large portrait over the fireplace. “I did that one a year ago.” He

remembered watching Gordon feeding the winged horses at the Falls

of Freedom. “My favorite one. Gordon is petting Gleoite.”

“He truly is lovely; his name suits him. Have you ridden him?”

Anson smiled and nodded. “He is my horse. He lives near the falls

with his family. I go see him every three days to ride and give them all

a treat. Would you like to come with me tomorrow? His mate would

give you a ride, I’m sure she would. I know I would.”

Devon laughed, Gordon cleared his throat loudly from somewhere

in the room, and Anson shrugged. “I do that on occasion. Gordon says

I did not stand in the line which offered shut off valves. I think I stood

in the creativity line more than once, though. At least that’s what

Gordon says.”

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“Well, now that you have graduated, what are you looking

forward to doing the most?”

“Ultimately I want to be given the freedom to go below, to

Domhan, and help the young adults accept one another for who and

what they are, through art. Freedom of expression, freedom to be okay

with themselves and their lives, that sort of stuff. Have you ever

watched them through our viewers?” The angels used the viewers to

watch the people of Domhan below; sometimes they studied them and

their behaviors to learn more about what made them happy or sad or

angry. What drives a human to hate another with so much passion that

they destroy lives? Anson would at times spend hours watching them,

wishing he could do something to help them. “Do you have joy inside

you when you heal another?”

Devon tried to smile, to play it off for the smaller angel, but he

couldn’t, so he merely nodded. “I like that picture there,” he said,

pointing to one Anson had painted of a great body of water. “I can

almost see it moving.”

“You may have it if you’d like. I have tons. So many that Gordon

often changes them once a month so all of them can be seen and

appreciated. Would you like to see what I’ve done in the kitchen?

Then I can show you my room. I’ve been looking for a second

opinion.”

“That would be very nice. Thank you.”

“Follow me. I’m sure Gordon will be a while yet, so I guess I can

give you the grand tour.”

“Right behind you,” Devon said, grinning. Oh yes, this little angel

was indeed different. He followed Anson through the sitting area, the

living area, down a bright yellow hallway, with more of Anson’s

creations displayed on the walls, and right into a brightly lit… “Hot

pink kitchen?” Devon asked.

“Yes, I like bright colors and because I love to create new dishes,

which requires me to be in this room more than in any other room, I

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wanted it to be cheerful. Well,” he said, with his index finger pressed

to his dimpled chin, “except for my bedroom, of course; then after

that, the bathroom, followed by the living area. Then, of course, if we

go outside the apartment, the backyard is my next favorite. I have so

many different flowers planted it’s like a rainbow of colors, and it

smells delicious. Would you like to see the color of my room?

Gordon’s bedroom is plain ol’ white, and I think that would be a bore,

but my room is yellow and lime green. Would you like to see it?”

“Lead the way.”

Anson realized what he’d just asked the handsome angel and

couldn’t stop the heat rushing to his face. He’d just invited a perfect

stranger to his room. Talk about a fast talker with the smoothest

moves. Not smart, Anson. What if the guy was off-the-wall crazy? He

looked at Devon’s handsome features, at those lips, and groaned.

“Crazy or not, I’m good with it. C’mon, let’s go. I’ll show you. Then

we can stop on the way to see Gordon; his room is across from mine.

He’s getting ready to go out for the night. Follow me.”

Devon almost blurted out, “anywhere,” but at the last second, he

clamped his lips together, keeping that thought to himself. Apparently,

that was something the other angel had an issue with. All the better, it

made him as cute as a button. He followed behind that sweet little ass,

all the way down the long hallway, and nearly plowed into it when

Anson stopped so quickly.

“Oh, sorry. I need a stoplight back there, right?

And before Devon blinked, they were at Anson’s room, with the

door wide open. Goodness, he needed sunglasses. “It sure is bright in

here, isn’t it? How do you manage without a shade for your eyes?

Does it glow in the dark?”

Anson stopped midway in his room and looked at Devon oddly.

“Shade? Why? The light is outside. We are indoors, no shades here.

Funny though, you’re not the first person who has mentioned this to

me. Do you think it’s too much?”

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Devon tried not to squint, but the glare was almost too much for

him. He looked at the furniture, which thankfully hadn’t been painted

from its original white oak. That seemed to balance out the colors

dancing in his vision. “For you? No, Anson, it’s perfect. ” Anson’s

smile went right to his heart. This angel was his. At least for a little

while.

“Really? Hmm, and to think I was going to calm it down to

neutral tones. Okay, then, I’ll keep it as it is. So, I guess I had better

get ready for our night out. Where are we going so I make sure I wear

the right clothes?”

“Anything you wear will be fine. But first I would like to ask your

permission for something.”

Anson stood before Devon and looked up into his eyes. “What is

it, Devon?”

“May I kiss you?”

Anson’s mouth opened in shock. He swallowed deep and ruffled

his wings. “You want to kiss me? No one wants to kiss me. At least, I

don’t think they do. No one has ever asked.”

“You have never been kissed?”

“Me? Oh no! I was taught to wait for the right mate, a loose angel

and all that.”

Devon took the steps to close the distance between them. Oh yes,

this one was his. “Good. Then I will be your first.”

“Yes, first,” Anson mumbled, now staring at Devon’s plump lips.

Oh, for the love of all things sacred, he was going to be kissed. By his

mate
. He wanted to do the happy dance and shout his joy to Nèamh,

but held back. Anson didn’t want to scare him away. He licked his

lips in anticipation. His heart ticked away happily, doing the jig he

wanted to do with his feet. “Uh, will this be a sweet kiss or the deep,

steal my breath away type?”

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Devon froze. His hand, which had been reaching out to hold

Anson around his waist, did too. He had to take a moment to process

what the angel had asked. But once he did, he said, with the utmost

sincerity, “I want to take your breath away, little angel.”

Anson’s eyes widened with glee. “Oh I can’t wait. I’ve read about

it a lot but have never gotten to do it, so I don’t know what it feels

like. Well, come on, then, let’s do this.”

Devon blinked his shock away and backed his little angel against

the wall, never once looking away from his dark eyes. No, not
his

angel, never would Anson be anything more than his obligation. The

angel was his responsibility now, nothing more. Devon leaned into

him, reached out and ran his fingers through his short, black hair, and

rested his hand on the back of Anson’s head. He placed his other hand

on Anson’s bare chest, over his wildly beating heart, and went in for

the kiss he had been thinking of since meeting him the day before. He

would never admit to anyone that he’d known of Anson for nearly two

years, else they’d call him a robber of the young. But now that their

mating had been ordered, Devon wanted nothing more than to take

what was being offered, to claim the body of the angel that stood

there, so willing to give himself over to his curiosity and desire.

Devon licked at Anson’s lips to taste and tease him. He kissed

Anson’s chin, his cheeks, his brow, his nose, and lips several times

before he sought entrance into what he knew would be the sweetest

place in Nèamh. He listened to the little noises escaping Anson’s

throat, the moans and whimpers that nearly made him spend himself

in his pants. Intoxicating and irresistible. He had to pull back to fill his

lungs with air, and smiled when Anson did the same. He looked down

and grinned. “I think you liked it?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, you liked it. Wanna do it again?”

“Yeah. Again.” And that was all Anson could say. From the

moment their tongues touched, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt

that they were mates. His body still tingled with the knowledge it had

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found his true other half. Being with Devon was like being home for

the first time, and the more he thought about it, the more he knew he

was going to cry out of pure jubilation.

Devon pulled back just a bit and looked into Anson’s shiny eyes.

“Why do you cry? Did I hurt you?” Devon asked, gently tracing

Anson’s swollen lips with his thumb.

“What?” Anson let what Devon said register, and he gasped. He

reached out and touched Devon’s handsome face and said, “You