Chapter 15: It’s a bittersweet feeling to know

Zoe:

“Who are you?” I ask the good-looking dark man standing before me. Something about the way he gazes at me makes my skin crawl. It feels like he could see deep inside my soul. It’s a wet and dreary night out. I was just walking home from working at the fabric factory when I ran into this man. My best girl, Clara, and I planned on visiting the new speakeasy in town. Apparently, the proprietor is very handsome. The man steps in front of me, snapping me out of my thoughts. This is not the first time I’ve seen him, though. I saw him several days ago when I was at the juice joint near Lexington. He was drinking hooch and talking to that Milquetoast Lenny. My friend Clara spotted him right away. The gent is quite handsome if you can overlook his sinister appearance. He has pitch black hair and dark as sin eyes. He’s tall with pale skin and a toned body under his pinstriped zoo-suit. Clara and a few of the other girls were charmed by his ritzy digs and Clark Gable's looks. I’m not that kind of dame, though. He steps closer and smiles in an attempt to put me at ease. But I don’t relax. If anything, he makes me tense further. Mustering up all the courage that I can, I take a step back to create some distance. And calmly ask. “What do you want, sir?” His mouth quirks. “You are quite beautiful.” He says with a measuring stare. I swallow deeply and respond with a hitch in my breath. “Thank you.” He shakes his head with a sly sneer. “Too bad that I have to end you. I just can’t risk him meeting you again. The last few times were a close call. Unfortunately, I have to personally take care of you this time. He needs to pay for his desertion.” I frown at his words, clutching my bag tightly to my side. “What? Who’s he? What are you talking about?” He smirks and moves closer, pulling a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You grow even more beautiful every time I see you. Too bad that Azazel will never get to meet you. If he only knew how close he had come to finally meeting you, his soulmate.” I shake my head and try to pull away, but he grips me by the elbow and pulls me close. His eyes bore down on me like I’m an ant under his shoe. “Please, sir, let me go. I think you have the wrong girl. I don’t know anyone named Azazel…please!” I call out desperately. However, he doesn’t answer me. I nearly jump out of my stockings when his eyes begin to glow a crimson red, and with an unnatural speed, he takes out a sharp blade and plunges it into my heart.

I shoot up from the bed, laying my palm over my wounded chest. But there’s no wound or knife plunged inside of it. Chest heaving, I pull my hair back and focus around the room in confusion. That’s when I realize that I’m not in my bed. The room is large and spacious. And the bed I’m lying in is huge. I flutter my eyes, trying to adjust to the morning sunlight and gasp when my eyes land on the slumped figure lying uncomfortably on a small reading chair near the window. It’s Azazel. His hair gleams golden beneath the sun’s rays slipping through the window drapes. And his head is tilted sideways. I look closer to see that his eyes are closed. He looks uncomfortable in the awkward position he’s in. I use the moment to my advantage to take a closer inspection. He’s wearing some kind of black gym shorts that hang carelessly low around his waist and show off his six-pack abs and powerful torso. His long, firm legs are stretched in front of him, and his arms are crossed over his muscled chest. He looks like a golden God in repose. However, his tattoos show the true bad boy side of him.

My thoughts snap back to what happened the night before. As if a movie is playing in my mind, I remember Azazel’s glowing eyes and large leather wings. I remember him saving me from the monster and taking me home. I couldn’t stay home, though. Bree and Lana were fast asleep by the time I got home. From the moment I walked into the apartment, panic had set in. As I lay in my bed, I kept hearing noises and wondering if that monster had come back for me. I wanted to deny what happened earlier and pretend that it was a figment of my imagination. Even when Azazel tried to explain the situation, I wanted to deny it.

Unfortunately, terror caught me in its grip while I was lying vulnerable in my bed. I just couldn’t lay there feeling terrorized any longer. So, I rose from my bed, slipped on my robe, and made my way to the one man who I felt could protect me from my nightmares. I didn’t give it a second thought. I guess my fear was so overwhelming that I didn’t even think about what might happen to me when I started walking to his home in the middle of the night. Because, whether I want to admit it or not, I was not really scared of Azazel. Even after seeing him turn into some kind of monster, I still felt safe with him. I think I’m angry with myself for letting him treat me the way he has and at my body’s response to his seductive presence.

I bite my lip and think about the dream. The man spoke of Azazel. However, that is not the odd thing about the nightmare, considering I’ve been having a nightmare of me dying before. Not even the fact that I was in the past again. I was in some kind of prohibition-era time this time. The weird part is that I remember the man being in my other dreams. He was the raider in the gladiator dream and the drunken knight in the medieval castle. The only difference between this dream and the ones before is that this is the first time he had spoken to me in a dream.

Is it possible that my dreams really happened? I remember several years ago, we went to a carnival and visited a fortune teller. Bree and I were shocked by her words. She told Bree that she would bring peace to the world if she survived. And she told me that death had followed me throughout my life because it wants to prevent me from finding my true destiny. Bree and I rolled our eyes at her words and wrote her off as a wacko. But thinking back now, I have to wonder if her words were true. I mean, what are the odds that I’ve had dreams of seeing Azazel in different lifetimes, and shortly after, I died of some catastrophe?

Rising from my bed, I tiptoe to Azazel’s side. His chest falls and rises slowly. He looks like an angel who has fallen from heaven with his golden hair creating a messy halo around his head. The urge to wake him and ask him about the dreams is overwhelming. It’s almost a compulsion. One that I don’t fight. As gently as I can, I raise my hand and extend my fingers to his hair. However, before I can touch him, his hand grips my wrist. I flinch when his eyes open and focus on my face. Before I can protest, he rises from his chair, pushes me on the bed, straddles me, and traps my hands over my head. He hisses and extends his wings threateningly. His eyes are glowing crimson again, and his nostrils are flaring. As careful as I can, I try to calmly extricate myself from his grasp. “Azazel,” I whisper softly, trying not to startle him. It’s something about the way he’s looking at me that makes me think he’s not in control of himself.

As if waking from a dream, Azazel blinks and shakes his head, clearing his thoughts. He gasps and releases my arms but doesn’t get off of me or hide what he is. “Zoe?” He utters in question. I nod my head inhaling deeply. “Yes, it’s me, Azazel. Please, you’re freaking me out.” I say, lowering my arm to rest them over my chest protectively. My eyes home in on his wings when they flutter softly behind his back. They are even more incredible up close. They’re long and leathery like the wings of a bat. The urge to touch them and find out what they feel like is irresistible.

Azazel leans closer and places an elbow beside the top of my head. His gaze switches from frightening to predatory instantly. “I’m sorry.” He whispers, but he doesn’t seem sorry at all. Instead, he gives me a cocky smile, moves his head close to mine, tilts his head, and rubs his nose against mine. His lips lie teasingly over mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. Instead, he continues to torment me with the promise of our lips touching. His breath caresses my lips enticingly. Fear turns to desire quickly. I lick my lips and gasp with every teasing touch of his lips.

“What do you want, Zoe?” Azazel asks, keeping his mouth close to mine. His eyes are glazed with desire. I’m sure I look the same. My legs move restlessly under him, and my chest arcs under his trying to find some kind of contact. Raising my hands, I lay them over his bare shoulder and graze my fingers down his chest, mapping the contours of his muscles. He closes his eyes, arches his back and groans when my fingers scrape over his stiff nipples. “Please, Azazel,” I whisper heatedly.

He shakes his head and lays a soft kiss on my nose before he pulls back and says. “I need you to forgive me first, Zoe. I never meant to hurt you. I also need to know that this…” His wings flutter, and he opens his mouth showing me his sharp teeth, reminding me of what he is. “...this does not scare you, luv. Because this is who I am. I'm a demon. However, I promise you…” He stops for a moment giving me an intense look. My heart stutters at his intense gaze.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and listen to his seductive voice when he continues. “...I promise that I will never hurt you. But, I need to hear you say it. I need you to say that you accept this.” He says, pointing his index finger back and forth between us. Then, he pulls back a little giving me room to accept or reject him. I exhale a few times, trying to clear my thoughts. But I know deep in my heart that I have already accepted what he is. If not, I wouldn't be here.

His eyes dim when I push him slightly away. He's about to move off me when I slide my palms to his shoulders and tighten my fingers over his biceps. “Don't Azazel. Please, can we just push this aside and just enjoy the moment. I don’t want to talk; I just want to feel.” I say gently and tilt my head up to nip at his lips. He groans and melts back into my body. I can see the glow of his eyes as he looks at me from under the fringe of his lashes. He tilts his head and deepens the kiss. His biceps strain under my hands.

Our tongues glide deliciously to create a warm tingle in my belly. I suck lightly on his lower lip, tasting the sweet taste of his honey. Our breaths mingle as we strain to deepen the kiss. The only sound you can hear are the sounds of our shifting bodies and our heavy breathing. I know that we should talk, but all I want at the moment is to relieve the aching heat building inside of me.

Azazel’s hands rest on my neck, holding me in place for his exploration. I lower my hands to his straining back and touch his leathery wings. They feel like velvet under my fingers. Like the finest leather. Not quite as sinister as I expected them to feel.

Azazel moans and arches closer for better contact. Our bodies strain as we move restlessly for a deeper connection. One of Azazel's hands traverses down to my thighs, slips under my nightgown, and raises it towards my waist. I can feel the cool air caress each piece of revealed skin. He moves his hand back down to wrap my leg around his waist and help me grind my panty covered mound on his cloth-covered erection. Flashes of delicious sparks shoot up my womb with every contact.

Suddenly, Azazel pulls up to his knees and raises me with him to straddle his lap. We're both in a sitting position, kissing and grinding. His hand moves to the straps of my gown and lowers them down my elbows. I help him remove it by slipping my arms from it and pushing it down to my waist. My nipples harden as they rub against his solid chest. Delicious friction flashes through me as our naked chests rub seductively together. His hands move to my back, caressing up and down my naked spine. I cling desperately to his neck as his mouth kisses down my chest. He bites gently on the tendon of my neck and places his palms over my breasts to flick the hard bud with his thumb. I bite my lip and moan at the bittersweet pain. I feel almost desperate. My womb clenches with the need to be filled.

He moves his hand down from my breast and swirls his tongue around my nipple. I gasp and slide my fingers through his hair, holding him in place. Every pull of his mouth and slide of his tongue makes my body jolt pleasurably. “Azazel.” I cry out passionately. Azazel growls and tightens his lips around my hard buds to bite them gently, and my body shudders with every pulsing wave of pleasure that his lips and hands create. I nip lightly at the ball of his shoulder and suck at his skin. His wings continue to flap in delight as my hands slide down his rock hard abs and settle over the string of his shorts.

Azazel pulls away and looks at me from under the fringe of his lashes expectantly. I dazedly gaze into his eyes and move my mouth down his chest, sucking and licking every crevice of his muscles as I pull at the waistband of his shorts and whisper in my sexiest voice, “Take them off.” He pushes me gently off his lap and lays me on my back to kneel between my legs. Gripping the gathered material of my dress and panties, Azazel pulls it down my hips and legs to tosses it behind his back. I lay there unabashedly and open my legs in invitation. At this point, all I want is to feel him inside me. I don’t care about how wanton I look. Azazel leans down and lays a kiss on each of my knees before he whispers. “You’re perfect, my beauty.”

I wiggle my index finger in a come-hither way and bite my lip shamelessly. He gives me an arrogant smile and slides his shorts down his hips to reveal his hard, firm erection. He’s incredible in his nudity. His body is completely golden and toned. I run my gaze over his wide tattooed shoulders, firm thighs, and tight, flat, muscled stomach. His wings spread out around his body, making the whole situation seems surreal. Somehow knowing that he is beyond human makes the situation hotter. I raise my hands over my head and recklessly arch my body. Azazel falls over me and slides his hands down my arms in a sensual caress before placing a hand on my neck and sliding it down my collarbone, dipping in my belly button and stopping at my molten folds. I cry out when he slides a finger through and rubs my bud of pleasure. My folds swell and moisten with desire. Nothing had ever felt this amazing. I close my eyes, sinking into the mattress as my body writhes under his. I’m nearing the edge of my sweet release when Azazel plunges inside me. My walls contract around him, feeling every sensitive nerve as he sinks deep inside the recess of my walls. He lowers his mouth back down to mine and kisses me with a rousing passion. I feel devoured with every swirl and retreat of his tongue. His slow penetration turns into a hard lunge creating a molten fire inside me. I claw at his back and close my eyes as his thrusts grow more demanding. Our bodies cling together from our sweat, and heady sensations whirl through our centers.

His velvety wings continue to flap in rhythm with his hard thrusts. My breasts bounce, and my hips buck to meet his. The tingling awareness that awoke at the beginning of our lovemaking is now a turbulent storm raging through me. My breath hitches as the tumultuous sensation of my climax bursts inside me like red-hot lava melting through my body. I grit my teeth as sighs and groans of pleasure hiss through my mouth. The fervent feel of my release and its incendiary fierceness leaves me weak.

Azazel continues to pound into my body several times before he throws his head back and groans out his own release. His body shudders then grows still as his climax overtakes him. He looks animalistic with his glowing eyes and sharp teeth. Yet elegant and ethereal as he infuses me with his vitality. Sweat glides down his brow, to his cheek, and down his rapidly rising and falling chest. He falls slightly over me, keeping himself on his elbows. I can feel his rapidly pounding heart over my own racing one. Nothing had ever been this perfect. Sex had never been close to this good before. I feel almost renewed by the exquisite feelings that are still sending small shockwaves inside me. All of my senses are alive. I can smell his manly scent of sandalwood, feel the silky texture of his skin caress over mine, and hear the harmony of our hearts.

We both gaze into each other’s eyes, breathing heavily. I can tell by the look on Azazel’s eyes that he is just as amazed as I am by what has conspired between us. He runs his fingers lightly over my cheek and lays a gentle kiss on my head, nose, and mouth. I run my hands up the curve of his butt and back to settle them behind his shoulders and kiss him back. This is more of a gentle post-sex cuddling. It feels wonderful to caress and kiss so sweetly.

Azazel retracts his wings and lays on his back next to me, pulling me close. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh with exhaustion. My lids fall heavily over my eyes. It feels so good to lie in his arms. His body is warm and firm. I know I shouldn’t fall asleep. I’ve never even slept all night with a man. But with Azazel, it feels different. He makes me feel safe and warm. I’ve never felt this way about a man before. The sex was beyond incredible. But I know that I have to go before this becomes too real. I look at the bedside and read the digital clock. It’s only six in the morning. Too early for me to think clearly.

I close my eyes and feign sleep when Azazel shifts his body and wraps himself around me. I know that there is a great deal that we need to talk about; I just can’t deal with it just yet—or ever. I don’t think I’m ready to deal with my feelings for this…man. I don’t even know what he even is, yet I’ve slept with him. All I know is that he has large black wings, red eyes, and a heart-melting smolder that makes my knees go weak.

Eventually, sleep overtakes me. Fortunately, an hour passes when I’m startled awake by the same dream. Azazel is still fast asleep beside me. The cream-colored sheet is down his waist displaying every contour and ridge of his tawny skin. He has one arm folded behind him and another resting over his muscled abdomen. His body looks amazing. He’s like a feast to all of my senses. His legs are long and strong, like tree trunks. He’s the epitome of a perfect specimen. I want to crawl over him and lick his pecs and abs. My mouth waters at the thought of licking the bulge of his shaft. I’ve never had oral sex with a man, but the thought of doing it to Azazel makes me want to try it. I bite my lip, trying to stave off a moan. Naughty thoughts of crawling over him and riding him until we’re both satisfied make shivers run down my spine.

Taking a deep breath, I shake my head to try to clear all of the dirty thoughts from my mind. There’s just no way I can stay. No matter how much I want to.