Epilogue #2
Nerves fluttered in my belly because my sister had been cryptic in her message asking me and Gabriel to return to heaven. Gabriel and I were the only celestials left in the city. The other watchers had returned a week ago.
Kabiel and his scouts had been the first to be summoned back. Kabiel, fully restored, had a sharp beauty that never failed to pierce my heart. But he’d kept his distance, and I was grateful for it, because there was the threat of something there that I wasn’t ready for.
Baraqel and his team were summoned next, and finally Shem, Bastian, and Sarq. Tumiel and Zaq had been given leave to stay here in the city as representatives of heaven, and a direct line to Lucifer should the humans ever need one.
“Did you try on the dress I had made for you?” Bee asked. “Did it fit?”
I hadn’t had a chance to. “Not yet. But I’m sure it will be fine.”
“I made sure there was space for your wings.”
“I’m sure it’s perfect. And you? Is Tumiel escorting you?”
She blushed. “He is. He…he asked me to marry him.”
My heart leapt for her. “That’s wonderful!”
“Mira and Zaq are getting married too.”
A regular human marriage, not the twisted bonding that the Dominion had forced on the humans. There would be no more procreation between celestials and humans. The Nephilim had been called to heaven where Lucifer had assigned them celestial roles.
“Is Gabriel escorting you?” Bee asked, a sly look in her eyes.
It was my turn to blush. “Yes.”
“Have you two…”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?” She sounded genuinely curious, and honestly, I didn’t have a proper reason.
“I don’t…The timing is…Urgh. He hasn’t tried. I mean, I know he wants me, but he’s so…gentlemanly.”
“Then maybe it’s time you take the initiative and jump his bones. Look, he probably doesn’t want to push you. He’s giving you time and space, but if you’re ready, you need to let him know.”
“By jumping his bones?”
She grinned cheekily. “Pretty much.”
Maybe she had a point. The past two weeks, with the others gone, Gabriel and I had gotten close, real close, and the sexual tension was killing me.
“I’m going to do it.”
“Good!” Bee kissed me on the cheek. “Right, I’ve got to dash. Last minute prep before the big event tonight.”
She headed to the lift that would carry her down the tower, but I had a different route in mind. And a specific destination.
I climbed up onto the balcony, spread my wings, and stepped off.
I landed on the balcony to Gabriel’s quarters and instantly doubted my eagerness. What if I’d read the signs wrong? What if he wasn’t into me that way? Shit, this was a bad idea.
I turned away, ready to leap back into the sky.
“Rue?”
Fuck. I plastered a smile on my face, formulating a viable reason why I’d be snooping on his balcony and turned to face him, but the words shriveled up and died on my lips at the sight of his naked torso, all gleaming and cobbled and begging to be touched.
My gaze traveled down, as if drawn by unholy forces, down to the waistband of his tantalizingly low pants and—
“Rue, my face is up here.”
I looked up quickly, cheeks burning. “I am so, so, sorry. I was just…just…”
“Admiring the view?” He arched a brow. “Is that why you came, Rue? To look?” He ambled closer, and the tension that was ever at the ready between us spiked. “Or did you plan on sampling?”
I was locked in his emerald gaze, breath trapped in my throat. “I want…I want…you.”
“About fucking time.” He bridged the rest of the distance between us and scooped me off my feet. “You, my beautiful celestial, have been an exercise in restraint.” He carried me into his room and carefully laid me on the bed with my wings spread out beneath me.
But he didn’t join me. Instead, he busied himself with closing the drapes and lighting candles.
I pushed up onto my elbows. “What are you doing?”
“Setting the mood.” His eyes were dark with hunger as they connected with mine before flicking back to the candelabra. “I want our first time to be special.”
“We don’t need candles for this to be special, Gabriel. It’ll be special no matter what because it’s with you.”
He swallowed hard, his chest heaving, then crossed the room to join me on the bed. He stretched out beside me and propped his head on his hand to look down at me. “Why did you come to see me, Rue? Truly?”
“To tell you that I’m ready, that if you want me, then I’m ready, and that…that I fucking want you so bad it hurts.”
He traced my jaw with a fingertip, trailing it down my throat, over my collarbones, and stopping just above my breasts.
My breath hitched. I wanted him to continue. To touch me. “Gabriel, will you make love to me?”
“Yes, Rue, with fucking pleasure.”
He planted kisses along my jaw until he reached the sensitive spot just below my ear where he parted his lips and softly sucked on my skin.
Pleasure rolled down my body, nerves tightening at my breasts and between my thighs.
“Gabriel…” My voice was breathless as he whisper-kissed his way to my mouth, and when his lips finally claimed mine, heat rushed up to meet my skin, sensitizing every inch of my flesh so that every brush of his fingers, every stroke of his tongue lit a fresh fire of need inside me.
My wings stretched and pulled at my back as he gripped my wrists and tugged my hands above my head. The sensation, a sweet pain, seemed to connect to my pussy, leaving me with an aching throb that needed assuaging.
He covered my body with his but didn’t settle his weight on me, allowing pockets of warm air to spread out between us and slip beneath my clothes to caress my suddenly fevered skin.
I needed to feel him. Naked and slick against me. Inside me.
But he held me captive, plundering my mouth, devouring me with kisses that left me whimpering and begging for more.