Hunting Angel 2 (25 page)

He took my hand and pulled me farther into his room, sitting me on the end of his bed. “Do you remember what Ives said about our connection, about other connections?”

I nodded my head. “He said that our souls were bound because of the deal you made for my life. He said that there are others who were linked like us but in different ways.”

Chase nodded. “It’s a binding triforce. You and I…we’ve just sealed two points of the triforce. Soul. Heart.”

I searched his face, looking doubtful. “How?”

“By admitting what we felt, what was in our hearts. There is power in words.”

I couldn’t help but think he wasn’t entirely happy about this. “Did you feel it when I told you…when I told you I loved you?” The words came out like a heady whisper.

The truth swam in his eyes, and it was all the confirmation I needed, but he spoke what I already knew. “Yeah, I tried to warn you.”

Wasn’t that just gnarly? I guess there really was power in words, at least in this case. I fiddled with the bracelet at my wrist. “What does it mean?”

He gave me a panty-dropping smile. “It means that our connection is a whole lot stronger, deeper. We’ve just kicked it up a notch. And I’ve potentially put you in whole shit-ton more danger. The usual.”

“Soulbond and heartbond,” I said out loud, testing how they sounded. “What is the third?” I asked.

“Bodybond.” His eyes clashed with mine, and I flushed as I realized what that meant.

If we did the deed, if we made love, we would fulfill the binding triforce.

The ideal of completing the triangle should have worried me, not excited me. I shouldn’t want to be tied to Chase anymore than we already were, but truthfully the last one thrilled me to my core. I was more eager than I wanted to admit. Being with him in the most intimate way possible was something that teased my dreams almost nightly. Now knowing what it could mean, only heighten its hotness.

Just as my head filled with steamy images of us wrapped together, he pulled up his shirt. It was like he read my thoughts.

I gulped.
Sweet baby Jesus
. My mouth watered at the sight of his tan rippled chest. “Are you trying to tell me something?” I stood up and took a step toward him. My fingers were itching to touch.

He backed up, holding out a hand. “Just stay there a moment. I wanted to show you this.” He looked down, bringing my gaze to his demon mark.

On sharp intake of air, I ignored his warning, reaching him in two quick strides, startled by the discovery that his demon art had an addition. I ran my fingers over the new markings. “Is this because I told you that I loved you?”

“You got it toots.”

I was captured under his gaze. “Should I assume mine has also expanded?”

He gave me a devilish grin. “What happens to me happens to you.”

“Lovely,” I said dryly.

“You like it.”

That was just it. I did.

A wicked glint filled his silver flint eyes. His finger traced my lower lip, and I suddenly realized I was still touching his bare skin. My hands roamed on their own over the solid planes of his chest, and I felt him shiver under my fingertips. “I could make you mine,” he said. “I know it now. I didn’t want to admit before, didn’t want to believe it, but it is useless to deny. It would only take once, and there would be no going back. I’m afraid to touch you. I won’t take away your freedom, the choice from you.”

I didn’t see another choice. I was already his.

Taking a step forward, I ran my hands up around his neck, diving into his hair as I brought his lips down on mine. I kissed him with everything I had so he wouldn’t doubt my choice. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation, not for me. My lips were on his, and I felt him shudder, but he was holding back.

If I was going to sink, so was he.

Sucking on his bottom lip, he made a sound in the back of his throat, half moan, half growl and final took the plunge with me. This was what I wanted, what I’d been waiting for, dreaming for. Deepening the kiss, I parted my lips, tumbling headfirst with the rush of sensations crawling across my body. Shivers of pleasure shot through as I pressed up against him.

Everything inside me sparked to life.

It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It wasn’t a gentle exploration. Oh God no. That’s not what I’d wanted, not what I needed. It was raw, deliciously possessive like he was branding me with his essence, staking his claim. The energy I’d been lacking all day jumped to life, I was bursting in it.

With an unearthly precision, he backed us into his room, keeping my mouth extremely busy with the feel of his lips pressing down on mine. When we reached the edge of the bed, I found myself vertical on his sheets and his hard body covering mine. I melted under his touch. He burned away the ugly memories and replaced my head with nothing but thoughts of him. There was no one, nothing, but him. My world became Chase.

In a single fluid motion my shirt went over my head and flew across the room. His was quick to join. I stared, drooling at his perfect abs and the cut form of his hips. Tiny dark hairs dusted his lower belly and then vanished into his black cotton boxers that were playing peek-a-boo with his jeans. His kisses zapped my brain cells, but his body rocked my socks.

At this rate, my socks were going to be the only thing left on me. And you can bet his fine ass I was going to love every second of it. His hands and mouth were enchanting. And right now that enchanting mouth was smirking smugly. I dug my fingers into his hair, sealing that smug mouth to mine.

“Angel,” he murmured my name. He said something more, but it was lost to me. When he was touching me, kissing me, I couldn’t think, let alone hold a conversation. That was just asking too much.

“Hmm.” That was the only articulate word I could form.

His breath whispered at the nape of my neck. “Are you sure you want this? Do you want me to stop?”

Stop touching me – no. Stop holding me – no. Stop kissing me – hell no.

I shook my head, my chest rising and falling raggedly.

He paused and stared down into my face. “Angel, are you even listening to me?”

“What?” I asked the haze was just beginning to lift. Why wasn’t he kissing me? I ran my wandering hands up his chest impatiently.

Hovering above me, I watched his eyes, luminously topaz in the dark, shimmering. “I’m a selfish asshole. I won’t let you go. Ever. You’re mine,” he vowed, going all caveman.

Holy hot demon babies.

Pleasure speared through me. I love it when he went all Neanderthal. “That’s a two-way street baby.”

He arched a brow, raising that silver hoop. “But we aren’t doing this right now, no matter how much I desperately, desperately want too.”

“
What
!” There seemed to be an echo in the room. Me.

“I’ve had all binding to you I can handle today. If we do
this
,” his palm cupped my cheek. “There will be no going back. We’d complete the third. I know it. You know it. Right now I just want to relish in having you here. Home.”

Okay. If he put it like that…

I sighed heavily, and rested my head on his shoulder.

So instead, we fell asleep entangled in each other, afraid to let go. Life was precious and I think we both realized we didn’t want to waste another moment without the other. Each time I awoke in the middle of the night terrified, Chase’s arm would tighten around me and he would whisper in my ear, “You’re safe. You’re home with me.”

And that was all I needed to hear to fall back asleep. It wasn’t really the words that gave me comfort, just his voice. In the end, my first night home was perfect except for not yet seeing my mom, but it gave me something to look forward to in the morning.

~*~*~*~

A sleepy smile pulled from my lips as I opened my eyes. Rolling on my side, I looked at that impossibly glorious guy next to me. Dark strands of hair fell haphazardly over his sharp features. Unfeasible long lashes fanned his closed eyes. Sleeping, he lost some of his hardness. His face was softer, relaxed. I could feel his peace, his happiness exuded inside me, like a piece of him was planted in my heart.

Soul. Heart…Body.

Well we’ve knocked two of the three out of the park. Both of us knew it was only a matter of time before we were bound wholly, the complete triforce. And after last night, I don’t think either of us were going to last very long. I wanted him – there was no doubt about that. But Chase and his sudden sense of morals was standing in the way. Since when had he grown an honorable conscious?

Since when I had I become such a hoochie?

Ives had been right about us. Now that I had given Chase my soul and heart, it made me stupidly happy. A testament that I had truly lost all common sense.

And I desperately needed a hot shower. I smelled homeless.

Sneakily as possible, I tried to wiggle out of his arms. 

“Where are you going?” he mumbled in a deeply sexy voice still half asleep. He burrowed his head against the back of my neck, clenching his hold on me. His lips grazed a sensitive spot and I shivered.

Where had I been going? With his lips on my exposed skin I lost brain power. Thinking wasn’t possible. Oh right. “Shower,” I uttered.

“Do you need my help?”

I elbowed him in the gut and he released me. “I think I got this one covered Casanova.” He was being so damn contradictory.

Edging out of bed, I headed for the bathroom. I could feel his eyes watching my every movement. Closing the door behind me, I was engulfed with the essence of Chase. His bathroom oozed him. Bottles of every shape and color lined the counter. Lord, he was worse than a girl. Curiously, I picked up one of the green bottles, popping the top and sniffed.

I screwed up my nose and put it back with the others. What could he possible do with all this crap? On second thought, I didn’t want to know. Then I got a glance of myself in the mirror. I was rockin’ the messiest ponytail known to man. “Oh dear God.” I ran my hand down my neck expecting to see a nasty cut, forgetting that I had this inhuman ability to heal. My neck was smooth and ivory. A good thing, I was thinking. If Chase had seen it…

I shuddered. Let’s just say, I thought his anger would have rivaled Satan himself.

Immediately I started the shower.

Resurfacing from my long overdue cleansing of pure bliss, I found Chase exactly where I’d left. Sprawled on his bed with the corners of his lips tipped up and there was a distinct gleam of amusement in his eyes. “Do you know that you snore like a banshee in your sleep?”

“I do not,” I denied. Jesus, I hoped I didn’t.

He beamed at me, patting the empty sheets next to him. “Come back to bed. I missed you.”

My heart tripped, and I gladly got back under the covers.

Pulling me into his warm embrace, he whispered my new favorite words. “I love you.”

I clamped my eyes shut, savoring the moment. Never would I get tired of hearing him say those words in his dark, magnetic voice. It enthralled me. His arms tightened around me. “I love you too,” I said, snuggling deeper against him.

“You better,” he half growled, half moaned.

A smile tugged at my lips. “Oh yeah, just remember who said it first.”

But as usual the joke was on me.

I felt his hand skim down my tummy and wasted no time making its way up my tank top. No longer was I smiling. My heart stopped at the first touch of his hand against my flushed skin. It was breathtaking. I gasped as he skirted the top of my shorts. Deviating just a little, his fingers began to trace the still slightly tender mark at my hip. It tingled wildly under the feel of his light touch.

“I’ll never forget,” he promised, kissing my neck.

Damn he was good.

Chapter 25

“I need to see my mom,” I declared.

Chase’s eyes softened with understanding. “I’ll go with you,” he volunteered but left no room for argument. I could feel his reluctance to let me go. And I had a feeling it was going to be a very long time before Chase would leave my side.

“She doesn’t know what happened, right?” I asked again just to clarify. When he told me that he had compelled her, my feelings had been conflicted. On one hand, I was so freaking relieved that she hadn’t spent the last five days worried sick about me. On the other hand, I hated that he had played around in her head. And from what I gathered, Devin wasn’t thrilled either. At least we agreed on something, my mom’s wellbeing.

His damn cocky grin spread. “Not even a hint of what happened.”  A fragment of ruthlessness popped into his eyes. “Which reminds me Angel, we still need to talk about what
did
happen.”

I didn’t like the darkness that was hidden behind his calm exterior. He was playing it cool for me, but it was senseless. Now more than ever his feelings and emotions were powerful inside me. I found it hard to distinguish between his emotions and mine. I was going to have to work on that. “Not yet,” I answered softly, knowing the moment I told him, he was going to totally do something rash and idiotic. It was just Chase’s way.

Waking side-by-side down the stairs an unusual sound floated from the family room. Youthful giggles. It wasn’t so much the giggle that sounded out of place, but the voice that belonged to the girlish laugh.
Emma
? I didn’t think the merciless hunter had a gigglish bone in her body. Something was definitely amidst.

Sneaking a glance at Chase, it was clear he thought the same. His dark brows were buried together, and I felt his body stiffen. Alarm speared through me. He was in the ask questions later kind of mood. An instant before he descended the rest of the stairs in warped speed, I placed a hand on his arm and shook my head. Knowing him, he would strike at Emma just because.

Together we entered the family room flooded with a vibrant cheer and were more than a little surprised at the scene that unfolded in front of us. When had things changed? How had I not seen it?

Emma was curled up beside Travis on the couch looking like a cat caught licking the milk bowl. Never had I seen her so delighted, so happy. Even her silly grin was catching. I found my lips twitching and thinking that when Emma truly smiled, it transformed her hard exterior into something beautiful.