Chapter Sixteen #2
His arm locked around my back, and I was yanked forward.
Our mouths collided, and his tongue pushed its way past my lips.
I moaned and met his kiss with the same intensity, slicking my tongue across his.
The happy rumble in his chest made me smile.
I’d heard it a couple times yesterday, but it felt special this morning for some reason.
God, I was falling so hard.
“Better?” I asked after pulling away.
His lips twitched again, red eyes flaring. “Better.”
“Cool beans.”
Glacies and Ignis bopped around the room, flickering energetically in greeting. They were so happy and cute. I really couldn’t get enough of their antics as they rubbed over my cheeks and left moisture in their wake.
I giggled and got out of bed, searching for my bag. But it wasn’t anywhere I could see. Instead, there was another dress waiting for me on the bedside table next to where I slept. I eyed it, then the Horseman who had an arm bent behind his head, watching me in open appreciation.
I was momentarily distracted by his naked glory. His physique was a thing of beauty. A perfect match for his face, one that could win awards. The man looked like he’d been carved from white granite, everything gorgeously taut and smooth. Beauty that they wrote about but didn’t exist in reality.
I tore my eyes away from his perfect body to his perfect face and sighed in girlie dismay. I’d never be able to think with anything but my lusty brain around this perfect male specimen, but I was making peace with it.
“First you’re feeding me, and now you’re dressing me?” I mock complained. It didn’t bother me, but I felt the need to at least put up a little bit of a fight. That was what every heroine did, right? Then they just so happened to fall on the hero’s dick over and over, like whoopsie daisies.
I totally had this heroine thing down pat.
He didn’t answer, just stared. With a sigh, I put it on. His expression didn’t change, but I got the impression he was pleased. His gaze raked down my form several times before he met my eyes again.
He’d gotten the fit perfect. I didn’t often wear dresses, and certainly never like these, but I felt so pretty in both of the ones I’d found yesterday and today.
My smile was sure to say so as I dialed Felix’s number and walked from the room, eager to hear his voice again. I missed him so damn much.
“There’s my girl,” he greeted softly.
My throat seized. “Hey Old Man, how are you?”
“As well as you can expect. How’s your vacation coming along?” he asked, eager for details.
I couldn’t lie to him, so I stuck to the things that were true. “It’s beautiful here. We’re near the coast. The sea air…it’s incredible. I feel so calm here,” I told him in all honesty.
I felt Ghost’s arms around my waist as he pulled me into his chest and held me close.
“You’ve never been to the beach, now that I think about it,” Felix murmured, then he yelled at someone nearby. “I love hearing from you, Nomi, but really, go enjoy yourself. Stop worrying about this old fart.”
I laughed, and Ghost dropped a kiss on my naked shoulder. “As long as you promise to be nice to the new baker. I mean it. Not everyone can be an old fart in the kitchen. You need to give them room to grow.”
He grumbled, but it didn’t have any anger to it. “Yeah, yeah. Go get some sun for the both of us. I’ll talk to you in a few days once you’ve had yourself a real rest.”
“I love you, Old Man,” I said with feeling, always making sure to tell him every time I called. “And I miss you so much.”
“I love you too, baby girl. And as much as I miss you, I’m glad Limos is treating you to a vacation away. So don’t waste it on me. Go have fun, you stubborn girl.”
I could hear the emotion in his voice he tried to hide. He was so good to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better man in my life after everything with my biological father. I didn’t doubt for a second that Felix was the reason I was alive and happy.
I hung up the phone, emotion biting at my eyes. Ghost turned me so that I was facing him and brought me gently into his chest, lending me his warmth and saying nothing. He never did. He always seemed to know when I needed words and when I didn’t.
I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes, holding onto him like he was my anchor and lifeline.
A few tears burned down my face, the ache I’d ignored making itself known.
It never got easier to say goodbye to Felix.
He’d been my entire world until I met Ghost. Being away from him felt like a piece of me was missing.
After nearly ten minutes of standing there just holding Ghost, I pulled away and smiled. “Thank you again. Really. I’m sure there are cooler ways to say it, but I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”
His eyes sparked with something before he cradled my face and leaned in. Our mouths met. It wasn’t heated or eager. It was slow and gentle and entirely too brief.
“We’ll need to travel to meet the other Horsemen.”
He was worried about my stomach. I didn’t have the greatest experience with instant travel the way he did it. I’d tried to hide it, but apparently, I’d done a piss poor job of it.
“It’s all gravy, Ghost. I’m ready.” I brushed it off with a sly grin.
I was more nervous about meeting the other Horsemen. Ghost hadn’t gone into much detail, but by the sounds of it, none of them wanted the apocalypse. He didn’t explain why he was suddenly going to see them, only that it’d help protect me.
I sensed something hidden in what he said. Ghost was better than most at masking his emotions, but I’d picked up on something bothering him since our last encounter with the angels and demons. But if he was keeping it from me, there had to be a reason.
I trusted him.
I’d wait until he felt comfortable telling me.
“Let’s go,” I told him, keeping tight hold of his body the way he instructed every time. Then the world shifted hard enough to force my eyes closed.