Chapter 15 - Eager

Valentina:

“Merde, Valentina, get back here!” Michael hisses angrily as he follows behind me.

I ignore his call and continue forward. “I have to save my friend, Michael!”

His teeth grind as he steps closer to me and roughly pulls me into his arms. “I will not allow you to do this,”

I push at his chest incredulously, “You will not allow me?” I retort angrily, “In case you have forgotten, Michael, you don’t fucking own me. I am not yours or anyone else’s.”

His teeth grit as he lifts me in his arms and pulls me back out of the cavern. I glare angrily into his eyes when he pushes me back against the wall. But Michael ignores me and crushes his lips to mine, changing my mood instantly. My arms wrap around his neck, and my chest molds to his. His hands traverse across my body as he devours my lips and slides his hands down my thighs. I know I shouldn’t let this go further, but my body is not cooperating. I just want him. My tongue tangles with his, and my nipples pucker as he presses harder against me. His lips move down my neck, sucking on the sensitive tendon until I’m breathless with pleasure.

My hands weave through his hair as he kisses his way down my chest and bites gently on my covered nipple, “Please, Michael.”

Michael groans and kisses me back, “I need you, chérie,” he murmurs as he slides his hands up my thighs.

His eyes heat with desire as he slides his fingers inside my waistband until he reaches my panties.

“Don’t stop,” I whimper as I rub my hand across his swollen groin.

Michael growls as he slides his finger inside my slit. Clinging tightly to him, I mewl as he stretches my opening and strokes his fingers in and out of my tight sheath. I’m so wet that he slides right in without a problem.

Gasps and pants escape my lips as he brings me close to a release. Our bodies grind, and our hips move in tandem as we both enjoy each others’ blissful touch. I don’t care where we are or who might see us. All I care about is how good his fingers feel sliding in and out of me. When his thumb brushes my clit, I close my eyes and groan. My sheath clings to his fingers as I slide my hands inside of his jeans and caress his hard cock. He’s bigger than I expected, but he’s so hard and velvety that my walls quiver at the thought of having him inside of me. He’s definitely bigger than any guy I’ve ever been with.

I pump my fist against his hard shaft and rub the throbbing head, making him groan against my lips as I swirl my finger over it. The velvety feel of his cock makes my thighs quiver as he continues his own ministrations.

Within seconds, every nerve in my body clenches and a flood of pleasure erupts inside my body. Michael follows, his own body stiffening as his cock swells and his essence erupts around my fingers. Our cries of ecstasy resonate across the darkened space, and our bodies spasm until we’re both spent.

Michael’s harsh breaths match mine as he uses his powers to clean us off.

“Probably not a good idea to do this now,” I mutter breathlessly. Michael leans his face close to the crown of my head and inhales deeply. Closing my eyes tightly, I take a couple of deep breaths and try not to ruin the moment by thinking about how close we are to finding the queen, “It’s not fair,” I choke out, “I’m here seducing you when Sami needs me, and the queen is beyond those walls,” I wave my hand toward the opening.

Michael’s arms wrap around me. “You have to be patient, chérie. If we go in without guidance and the soldiers discover us, we’ll lose all elements of surprise. Now that we know where they are, we can wait for the drones to appear, capture one, and glean the information about the queen from him. I cannot even flash because if they discover what I am, they might relocate and set us back to the beginning of our investigation.”

He adjusts my top in between kisses. “We’ll come back tonight, and we’ll find the queen─ je promets,” I promise.

He’s so gentle that he makes me forget that there’s so much going on. Moving closer, I slide my fingers through his hair and deepen the kiss. The feel of his tongue and delicious lips against mine is intoxicating.

Sliding my hand down, I rub his bulge and groan against him when I see how big and solid he is again.

Within moments, Michael flashes us back to his house and makes us dinner. It’s weird because I can’t help but feel like we are on a date. Discounting our search, Michael took me on a tour where we held hands and did other sexy things. It was pretty amazing.

Taking a sip of my wine, I observe as he takes a bite of his dinner and looks out the window distractedly. The way his eyes look broodingly out the window and his jaw curves are breathtaking. My lips throb with need as I run my gaze across his Roman nose and silky hair. Unlike most of the attractive guys I’ve met, Michael does not need preen or posture. He’s comfortable with himself and with everything around him, and it’s seriously sexy.

Michael glances back at me and arches a questioning brow, “Quelque chose ne va pas, chérie?” Is something wrong, sweetheart?

I shrug my shoulders, “No, I was just thinking.”

His lip quirks as he leans his elbows on the table’s surface and gazes intently into my eyes, “What were you thinking about?”

I bite my lower lip and glance around, chagrined, “I was just thinking that what we did today was sort of like a…date.”

Michael’s eyes widen as he analyzes what we did.

Hating the silence, I lean forward in my seat and say, “You know, like we went out on a tour of the catacombs, we fooled around a little, and we had dinner─all the things people do on a date.”

Michael leans back on his chair and shrugs, “I would not know about that, chérie.”

I tilt my head in question, “Why?”

He looks down at his plate, then glances back at me with an earnest expression. “Because I have never been on a date.”

I sputter in reply. I mean, the angel is thousands of years old and has never been on a date. How is that even possible?

“Are you…are you telling me that you’ve never dated a woman?”

He shrugs, “I have been with women… intimately. But human females are fragile and have very short lifetimes, and supernatural females have mates. It’s difficult to get attached when you know your lover is going to die or eventually find someone they are meant to be with,” he puffs out a breath and leans back thoughtfully, “Not to mention that my own mate despised me.”

“I thought you said you barely met your mate before she…passed?” I try to be sensitive about my question.

Michael’s expression changes through various emotions as he recalls something foul, “When I met my mate, I asked her to forgive me for not knowing she existed and she said, Je t'ai appelé et tu n'es jamais venu. Mais cela n'a plus d'importance. Tu n'es plus rien pour moi maintenant.” I called for you, and you never came. But that doesn't matter anymore. You are nothing to me now. He rubs his chest, pained by his mate’s cutting words, “Her words were hurtful and still ring in my head, heightening my guilt,” he continues, unaware of my shock.

My heart stutters at the familiar words. They are the same words that I said in my nightmare. “I’m…I’m sorry that happened to you,” Feeling discomfort, I rise from my seat and give him a wan smile, “I should go and get ready for tonight.”

Before Michael can reply, I rush up to the room, close the door behind me and slide down the door with a resigned sigh. The words he said echo in my ears like an ominous sign. How is it possible that I dreamt those words? Or that even said them in my nightmare? Is it possible that I’m Michael’s mate? But I don’t remember any of it. Plus, there’s also the matter of me not having wings or armor. There’s also the dream of an angel that I had after Ever, Sami and I wrote our questions that night outside our apartment. I know I should speak to Michael about this, but something stops me from saying anything.

What if he thinks I’m crazy? Or a liar? I mean, we’ve only known each other for a couple of days. How do I approach him and say, hey, I dreamt about you when my friends and I were doing a fun spell? Or, hey, I’ve been dreaming about women having wings, wearing armor and fighting angels. I just can’t see how I can say anything without sounding insane. There’s also a matter of how he makes me feel. I’ve never felt this deep an attraction for anyone. The more time I spend with him, the more I want to be with him. It’s almost a compulsion when all I can think about is his touch and his taste. Kissing him is beyond amazing. I wasn’t aware that I could feel this way so quickly about anyone. This is all so crazy.

I don’t know how long I sit there, but I startle when there’s a light tap on the door.

Rising up, I wipe my hands on my thighs and open the door; Michael’s beautiful visage gazes back at me as he steps inside of the room and whispers, “I enjoyed our date very much, Valentina.”

I lick my lips and try to come up with a response, but I’m tongue - tied.

Michael smolders as he moves closer and caresses my jaw. My eyes instantly hone in on his luscious lips, and my body heats with need.

The feel of his lips against mine is the same feeling I get when I eat a delicious piece of chocolate. It’s decadent and delicious, and I never want it to end.

His fingers slide through my hair, and his tongue strokes mine sensually. Groaning with pleasure, I rise to my toes and wrap my arms around his waist and mold my chest to his.

Somehow we both end up wrapped around each other on the bed. I feel like a naughty teen making out with my boyfriend. Within moments, I pull his shirt off and caress my hands up and down his bare pecs and abs, memorizing every curve and crevice.

Michael’s fingers slide down my chest and slide inside of the hem of my top until he’s touching my bare breast. A mewl escapes my lips as his fingers flick and twist my nipples. Wrapping my legs around him, I nip his lower lip and suck his tongue. Michael’s body grind above me, his body bowing and undulating in a pleasurable rhythm that makes my eyes cross.

Lowering my hands, I claw at his firm ass and ride one of his thighs, stimulating my clit in the process.

The sound of our heavy breaths, sensual moans and bodies rubbing together echo across the room.

I’m about to unzip his jeans when his cell phone begins to vibrate in his pocket. Startled, Michael glances down and reaches for it. I look down and bite my lip when I see that his zipper is straining around his hard cock. His chest and abs gleam with sweat, and his hair is tousled sexily. The man is a feast for the eyes, and I’m like a hungry wolf who wants to gorge herself on his perfection.

Unaware of my naughty thoughts, Michael takes out his cell phone and answers the call, “Gabriel?”

His expression becomes unreadable as he listens to whatever his brother is saying.

I sit up with alarm when he says, “Where did you take her, Gabriel?”

I try to listen for a response, but Gabriel’s voice is unintelligible.

Michael’s response puts me on edge. “Just hold on a bit longer, frère. We are close to finding the queen.”

After a moment, he disconnects the call and looks at me. “What did he say? Is Sami alright?” I ask, alarmed.

Michael nods, “Oui, they are alright, but Gabriel had to move her because a group of Naga’s found them earlier. The mark must be getting stronger because now they are easily able to locate her.”

I wring my fingers with worry. “Where did Gabriel take her?”

Michael’s brow furrows, “He took her to Lucifer’s fortress in hell, but he can’t keep her there long. Humans cannot live in hell for long periods, or they begin to die.”

I rise from the bed and reach for my boots, “How long does Sami have before she…” I stop unable to verbalize any negative words.

“She has a week before Gabriel has to find another place to relocate her,” he answers carefully.

“Then we should probably hurry and find the drone before it’s too late,” I say as I rush to the door.

Michael adjusts his jeans and slips his shirt back on. “We still have a couple of more hours before the soldiers come out of their hiding place to feed.”

“So what do we do in the meantime?” I ask.

Michael smiles at my tone and pulls me back into his arms, “I know you’re in a hurry to find the queen, but we have to plan, chérie.”

“Okay, so what do we do?” I say as I trace my fingers across his covered chest.

Michael’s leads me back to the bed and sits beside me, “Tout d'abord, nous devons trouver une carte des catacombes.” First, we have to find a map of the catacombs.

I reach for my cell phone and run a search. “How are we going to get the information from the drone?”

Michael distractedly slides his fingers through stray tendrils of my hair, “We will have to take him to one of the Council’s holding cells so I can use my abilities to glean the information from him.”

“This is crazy, but I can’t find a good map of the catacombs on my phone.” I toss it back on the bed and sigh, “I guess it doesn’t matter because, with my luck, my phone will stop functioning. Either way, I found a bookstore that sells books with maps of the catacombs. They are open for the next two hours.”

He nods, “Bien, alors tout ce que nous avons à faire est de nous préparer à attraper notre proie.” Good, then, all we have to do is catch our prey.

My body quivers at his dulcet tone. His French accent is seriously sexy.

“How are you going to get the information?” I ask, trying to change my train of thought.

Michael rises from the bed and extends his hand toward me, “I have the ability to enter the mind of a living being. It will take time, but I will be able to find what we are looking for.”

I bite my lower lip and follow him out of the room, “Wow, that’s an impressive ability. Any other things abilities I should know about?”

He snickers, “You are one of the very few humans who will get to see some of my abilities, chérie. I’m sure as our time together progresses, you will learn a great deal about what it means to be an archangel.”

“What do you mean, I’m one of the few? Don’t you guys know any humans?”

He shakes his head, “Non, it is forbidden for humans to know about our kind. You are one of the first humans who has learned of my kind.”

I swallow the panic that he brings forth with his words. If angels don’t want humans to know about them, then I more than likely am in trouble. “Will something happen if anyone finds out about me?”

Michael opens the car door for me and waits for me to take a seat before he slides into the driver’s seat, “Non, chérie, I would never let anyone hurt you. I get the feeling that you are different from most humans. You do not seem frightened by my kind or even too surprised by your discovery.”

“Yeah, it was a little crazy to discover that angels exist, but I figure that’s not a bad thing. I guess what surprised me most is the fact that you live…here and not…” I point up, “…you know…not in heaven.”

His expression falters for a moment. At first, I think he’s not going to answer me, but as we drive down his driveway, he continues to speak, “Like my brother, Lucifer, I also fell from heaven.”

I gaze at him with surprise, “What? Why did you fall?”

His jaw ticks as he gazes straight ahead, “After I ended Lana’s life, I was distraught. I could no longer be the angel I once was, knowing that I killed a woman I cared deeply about.”

I fidget in my seat, getting a sense of what he’s not saying out loud. “You…you loved her?”

Michael turns his gaze to mine, “Oui,” he takes a deep breath and looks back out the windshield, “After Lucifer fell, Le Créateur introduced us to Lana. I had never seen such a belle female angel. Back then, there were no female angels in heaven. Knowing that Lucifer was not there, I did everything that I could to protect her. We became close before her madness began to overtake her. Though Lucifer didn’t know about her, I was still angry and envious of his gift. I could not understand why Le Créateur created a mate for him and not for me. I kept wondering what I did wrong and why I was not worthy of a mate too. During that time, I even wished that Le Créateur would make Lana my mate. Ending her life…it broke something inside of me. Seeing that I was never going to be the same, I…I fell and tried not to ever think about Lana again.”

Blinking back tears, I place my hand on his and squeeze it tightly. “Do you…do you still love her?” I ask, even though I wish I didn’t. I don’t think I want to know. Though I haven’t known him long, I think of Michael as mine. Something inside me feels possessive toward him and resents the idea that he might have had feelings for someone else.

As if sensing my mood, Michael angles his head and gives me an intense stare. “Non, I do not love her anymore. She is still belle, but I quickly realized that she was not meant for me once we were reunited. And as soon as Lucifer laid eyes on her, he fell deeply in love. He adores her passionately and worships the ground she walks on, and she feels the same way. When you look at them, you can see that they are destined for each other and that they own each other’s souls. It’s almost humbling.”

Envy flutters in my stomach at his passionate words. I can’t imagine someone loving me that much. The only love that I have ever known is one of friendship. Ever and Sami are the only people I’ve ever cared about or that have ever cared about me.

Not another word is spoken as we make our way to the book store. However, it still doesn’t stop me from thinking about Lana's time with Michael or about how hot our make - out session was before Gabriel called.

Though I miss my friends and wish that Sami was safely back with me, I feel that everything will be alright now that I have the backing of archangels by my side.