Restraint (The Revelation Series Book 2) (24 page)

A few
minutes later, McKenna strolls back into the room. The scent of pizza and French fries follows her as my stomach grumbles. Abby made us do manicures and pedicures then get into our pajamas and now we’re all snuggled into the couch for a romantic movie marathon coupled with lots of greasy food. Her plan is to keep me busy so I won’t focus on the supernatural and divine conference going on downstairs without me. I hate to admit it, but it’s working.

“A little birdie told me Asher declared you
,” Abby says off handed.

“Would this little birdie be named Callan?” I ask
. She giggles.
He’s such a gossip girl.

I roll my eyes. “I was under the impression Asher asked them to keep it quiet.”

“Nothing in this clan is a secret,” McKenna states point blank.

“
In that case, can I ask you both a question?”

“Sure,” Abby answers brightly.

“If Asher’s dad, Garrick, was the king of the gargoyle community, why isn’t Asher king now?”

Abby swallows and shifts her focus to McKenna before turning back to me. “
He has to prove himself worthy of the appointed title before he’s sworn in.”

“Prove himself how?” I question, not
truly wanting to know the answer.

Silence.

“How?” I ask again.

“
By showing his loyalty, duty and respect to our kin,” Abby answers cautiously.

“And how is that accomplished?” I put down my slice of cheese pizza.

“By agreeing to the ultimate undertaking. Protect the daughter of Heaven,” McKenna answers.

I exhale loudly.
Crap
.

“
Don’t panic. It’s all going to work out the way it’s supposed to, Eve.” Abby pats my knee.

At her words
, I avert my gaze, my face paling. “That’s what Aria said right before she threw herself onto Deacon’s sword.” My voice is hoarse.

Abby’s eyes go wide. “O
h, Eve. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Her voice trails off.

I close my eyes and reopen them. “No
, it’s fine. Let’s start the movies.”

McKenna and Abby give one another a
sharp glance then return their focus to the flat screen before we drown our attention into love stories that have happily ever afters.

***

A warm mouth moves down my throat, leaving a burning sensation in its path as I arch into the chest that’s making a low rumbling sound. Strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closerto the powerful gargoyle kneeling down in front of me, positioning his body between my legs, forcing each limb to wrap around him.

“Where are Abby and McKenna
?” My eyes are still closed.

Asher runs his nose along my jawline. “They left a little while ago. You fell asleep,” he murmurs against my
throat, his breath warm.

“
I did?” I whimper as he nips at the dip in my collarbone. “How did the meeting go?”

“
As well as can be expected.” Asher flicks the tip of his tongue on the skin he just nipped. Then, only with the tip, he makes circular patterns before dragging his tongue up the middle of my throat, over my chin, and across my bottom lip, wetting it before his mouth connects with mine.

At a slow, sensual pace, he
savors me. All thoughts of the summit are gone as I focus on the way his lips travel across mine. With each stroke, I fall further and further into him. My legs tighten around his body, pulling him closer.

Asher
rocks his hips against me, causing my eyes to open as I release a gasp from the sensation. He holds my eye contact, never breaking the kiss. My chest tightens at the intense way I’m being looked at. Asher pulls away, allowing each of us to catch our breath. Holding my eyes with his, a slow and sexy smirk appears on his face.

He
leans back into me, biting my lip between his teeth and letting loose deep masculine sounds. At the release of the swollen lip, Asher pulls back again, teasing me so I’m forced to chase his mouth, which I do. Snagging it between my lips and returning the light nip before he plunges his tongue into the open slit. My hands clench the front of his t-shirt with the stirring sensation he’s causing in my body. The fire ignites as the flames begin to flicker.

Dragging his body
back, he stares down at me as I trace his face. Allowing my hands to roam over his eyebrows, down his sculpted cheeks, over the stubbly jawline I love so much, they land on his perfectly swollen lips. My thumb moves over them as they part. Asher’s eyes close, savoring each sensation.

Without warning, he fists his hand in the bottom of my white tank top
, yanking me forward harshly then devouring my mouth again. I sigh into the kiss as he begins to lift the hem of my tank at a slow pace, over my stomach, then my breasts. Once the material reaches my chin, he leans back, breaking the kiss, taking it the last little bit over my head. Throwing it on the floor next to him, his eyes appraise me. I resist the urge to squirm under his gaze. He’s looking at me as if I’m something to be worshipped.

“
By the grace, you’re fucking beautiful, siren.” His voice is thick as he swallows.

Asher
places his hands on my back, caressing them up and down as he leans in and drops a kiss in the middle of my chest. My breath hitches while he moves his head to the right and kisses the swell of my breast, above my black bra, and repeats the movement on the left side.

Leaning
back, he lifts his hands to the back of his shirt and pulls it over his head. My eyes travel appreciatively over his sculpted body. He takes my hands and places them on his chest, allowing me to feel his smooth skin. “Touch me,” he whispers as my eyes lift and meet his.

Focusing on the depths of blue, I slowl
y move my hands, caressing him as his body shudders at the contact. My right hand finds its way to the protector tattoo. I splay my fingers over it. Gently, he positions his palm to the center of my chest, applying light pressure.

“Layback
,” he orders, his command firm and gentle at the same time.

I do
and he presses his lips to the same spot his hand just was. Then he kisses a trail down my stomach, stopping just above where my shorts begin. Asher looks up at me through his long, sooty lashes. His hands wrap around the top of my yoga shorts, pulling them down my bare legs and throwing them next to my tank top.

Asher
returns his attention to my stomach, planting another heart-wrenching kiss on it. He caresses the area back and forth with the tip of his tongue. I moan while he nips and sucks before tightening the grip he has on my hips.

At the sound of my contentment
, he smiles against my skin. “Ash?” I pant out.

“What do you need, siren?”
The words are spoken against my stomach. The heat from his breath ignites the fire he’s started.

I can’t answer him, unsure of what I need. I just know m
y body is on fire and the flames burn. An answer in the form of his deep rumble vibrates through me, imprinting my soul. “I have to taste you, now.” His voice is deep and raw with need.

Without giving me a chance to change my mind,
he runs his hands down my sides and hooks each thumb in the sides of my panties, pulling them down at a slow pace. I suck in a sharp breath at the feel of his hot breath against my now very bare lower body. His right shoulder finds its way underneath my knee so my left leg is draped over his shoulder and resting on his back.

“Fuck,” he gasps out as he leans forward and takes my body into his mouth.

“Oh. My. God. Asher.” I breathe heavily as my head falls back into the pillows on the couch.

He growls deeply against my skin
, causing the flames to rise. Just when I think I’m going to fall apart, his tongue begins to sweep the area. “You taste so fucking amazing,” he says against me as the pressure begins to build inside.

My hands
find his hair and clench, pulling it gently as he increases the pace of his movements. Asher’s tongue moves with expert precision, greedily savoring my body.

I close my eyes and bask in the addition
al sensation of his fingers moving in a stroking rhythm that takes the flames higher. With a final flick of his tongue to the spot holding all my nerves, my entire body tightens. I almost pass out with its release as I scream out Asher’s name.

A
few moments later, when I finally compose myself enough to open my eyes, I see Asher watching me with a smugness over him. “Watching you come for me will never get old, siren.”
If he keeps talking like that, I might do it again from his words alone.

I just
stare at him, sitting between my limp legs, shirtless. He’s so striking. My heart leaps out of my chest with every inch of him that I soak in with my eyes. I push myself up with my palms and move toward him like a predator.

Asher
pulls his brows together in confusion as I sink onto my knees in front of him. I lean in slowly and plant a soft kiss on his mouth. “I want to touch you,” I whisper against his lips.

He swallows, the catch in his
throat evident. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not what this was about.”

I look him directly in the eyes. “I know
,” I say as the tips of my fingers skim his taut stomach and land on the button of his jeans. I wait for him to stop me, but he doesn’t. Holding his gaze, I clumsily unbutton his jeans and push the sides down with both of my hands, boxers and all. He leans back with a firm grip on the sides of the table behind him.

His breath hitches as m
y eyes drop, taking in the impressiveness of him. That’s when I see the little silver ball. My brow arches as he informs me in a deep, sexy voice, “That’s an apadravya piercing.”
Holy Hell, I did not see that coming.
Returning my eyes to his, I run my hand over the silky skin the piercing decorates.

Asher’s
eyes close as he groans. “Fuck, Eve.”

I
smile at his reaction to my touch and move my thumb along the top silver ball in a circular motion while my other hand runs the length of him. He gasps and arches his back, white knuckling the table before grabbing me by the back of the neck and yanking me to his lips, releasing a raw growl into my mouth.

“You’ll have to explain this later,” I
say against his mouth as his lips curve into a seductive smirk.

“With pleasure, siren.”

My lips brush his again, soft but firmly as I allow my hands to explore every inch of Asher in slow, steady motions.

1
7
Lullaby

I’m trying to control the urge to smack him. It’s hard. He’s driving me up the fucking wall.
We’ve been in a staring contest for the past twenty minutes over our cereal bowls. Neither of us budges. I release a long, exaggerated breath. It doesn’t even faze him. He just keeps crunching on his breakfast, loudly, to irritate me. I push my breakfast forward with a heavy sigh.

“Asher.”

“Siren.”

“I
can’t do it.”

“
You can.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

He shrugs. “You have to.”

“They’re dangerous
,” I say firmly.

“They’re
weapons. They’re supposed to be dangerous,” he retorts in a casual tone.

“
They pierced your heart. I almost lost you because of them,” I explain, hoping he’ll see reason.

His face softens as he reaches for my hands. “
I’m not going anywhere, siren. My death won’t be at the hands of your daggers, I promise. Besides, you don’t get it.”

I arch my brow. “Get what?”

He cocks his head to the side, gives me his sexy smirk and uses the most annoying and cocky voice I’ve heard from him to date. “I’m awesome.”

I narrow my eyes
, rip my hands away and push off the stool. “You suck, gargoyle.”

His eyes twinkle with mischief as he drops his
voice. “You know I do, siren.”

My
body constricts at his suggestive words. “Ass.” I stomp off, mumbling as his light chuckle follows me down the hall.

We’re in the basement.
Even the flats have a training room. Three hours of weapon and hand-to-hand instruction later, I’m covered in sweat and my muscles ache. Callan launches himself at me, wielding his knife. I spin and block the thrust with a kick.

“Excellent
,” Keegan encourages from the corner.

Tadhg
steps forward, replacing Callan. The change catches me off guard. Something flashes over Callan’s face but he immediately turns to stand between Asher and Keegan. Asher’s face pales. Keegan watches me with an odd focus.
What the hell?

Tadhg
smirks before lunging at me with supernatural speed. The rapid movement causes me to stumble back before catching my footing. The large gargoyle’s movements are so fast I’m having trouble absorbing them all. He produces a sword and plunges it at me, forcing me to twist away so hard I pull a back muscle in the process. Wincing, I hesitate for just a moment. It’s just long enough for Tadhg to grab my throat and throw me hard against the wall before dropping the sword. It clanks at our feet.