Chapter Twenty
G athering me in his arms, Saul strode away from the table.
“What are you doing? We’re in the middle of something,” Zacharias snapped.
Saul didn’t even slow. “This is more important. You can wait or finish the meeting without me. It makes no difference.”
I peeked over Saul’s shoulder to see Zacharias opening and closing his mouth. He wanted to lash out, but there was hesitation in his eyes. I scanned the room, studying the expressions of the paranormals we walked by. Every single person dropped their heads, pinning their eyes to the floor as Saul passed.
“They are afraid of you,” I whispered against his neck.
“As they should be.”
I didn’t want to hurt him, but I needed answers. “People say you gave yourself to the dark and you’re unstable. Some people say Zacharias is your long-suffering babysitter who keeps you from hurting people.”
He was silent for several seconds, then asked, “And what do you believe, Axelle?”
“I think Zacharias is an evil man who has purposely manipulated situations to make you appear unreasonable or demanding while he comes out smelling like roses. You seem to care for him, but he is not your friend. And I wish I would have bitten him harder.” I muttered the last sentence against his skin and jumped when he barked a laugh.
“Now, now, pet. You can’t go around biting people just because you don’t like them.” The teasing note shifted to a somber one as he stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind us.
Sitting me on the copper trough-style sink that ran the length of one wall, Saul asked, “What do you think about the darkness? Are you afraid of me?”
His eyes searched my face, needing to see if I would tell him the truth.
“I don’t think you gave yourself to the darkness. Honestly, I don’t even feel like darkness is the right word. Each time I’ve seen the shadows, and your eyes have shifted, your emotions were heightened, or you were protecting me.”
Reaching up, I slipped off the dark glasses that hid his beautiful eyes from me. “Saul, it’s not wrong to feel emotions. You’re allowed to be angry and protective of those you love.”
His irises glowed a brilliant violet, and his pupils expanded and contracted. “Are you afraid of me?”
I lifted my chin. “No.”
“What if I told you I’m thinking about hunting down the man at the bar and reaping his soul for touching you?”
“But you won’t. Because you’re a good man.”
“What if I told you I could kill half the people in this club before they even knew Death was coming for them?” he growled.
I brushed my fingertips along his stubbled jaw. “Then I’d say they had it coming, and you handed out fair judgment.”
Faster than the speed of light, he spun me around to face the mirror. The hard edge of the sink dug into my stomach as his right hand wrapped around my throat and his shadows whipped across my skin. He ground his erection against my butt, and his left hand slid down my stomach to press against my aching core.
His movements were purposely rough, as though he wanted to scare me away. “Are you afraid of me, Axelle?”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “But I am getting turned on.” I wiggled my butt against him.
Our eyes locked in the mirror, and I watched as his hands moved down my body, then shoved my slinky dress over my hips. With a flick of his wrist, his scythe appeared in his hand. Never breaking eye contact, he slid the flat edge of the blade up my arm and down my bare back.
My adorable reaper. He was trying so hard to get me to run, but he only proved I was safe with him. The man wasn’t even willing to risk accidentally cutting me with the sharpened edge of the blade.
The cool steel of the blade felt good against my burning skin. I sighed in delight and nearly burst out laughing at the befuddled look on Saul’s face.
He hooked my thong strap with the curved tip of the scythe’s blade, slicing the fabric with ease. Unbuckling his belt, he pulled it free with a snap and let it drop to the floor. “What if I took you hard and fast right here in this bathroom?”
I narrowed my eyes at him in the mirror. “Stop promising me a good time if you aren’t going to follow through.”
“You deserve so much more than this.” His mouth trailed hot kisses down my spine. “Why don’t you fear me? Nothing I did made you so much as flinch.”
“Because you said I’m yours and I know you’d never hurt me.” I caught his hand and kissed it.
“But what if I do?” His voice had gone from commanding to unsure.
“You want me to be afraid, because you’re afraid you might lose control and hurt me,” I murmured as realization slapped me in the face. “Saul, I’ve fallen in love with you—all the parts of you.”
“Axelle, what if I hurt you?” he repeated the question.
“If you walk away out of fear, you are going to hurt me.” Pushing aside my pride, I asked him for what I wanted. “Love me. Please?”
The atmosphere in the room changed so fast my ears popped. Saul’s hands moved to cradle my body against his, and the shadows brushed softly against my skin.
“I love you,” Saul purred between kisses. “I know things moved fast, but I’ve never felt attracted to anyone until I saw you.”
My jaw went slack. “So Zacharias wasn’t joking about the V-card thing? I thought he was messing with you.”
Saul shrugged. “I’ve witnessed plenty of sex while reaping souls. But nothing about the ordeal seemed appealing.”
I wiggled my butt against the stiff length in his pants. “Clearly you’ve changed your mind.”
“Yes, but that has led to a new issue.” He gripped his length through his pants and hissed between his teeth. “I’ve been erect since you were in my bed.”
“Wh-what?” Surely I’d misheard him.
“It’s been inconvenient,” Saul said as though this were a normal thing.
“Shouldn’t you go to the doctor? Do reapers even have doctors?” I asked. What if his bat and balls died and fell off?
“I don’t need a doctor.” His eyes glinted in the mirror. “I need you.”
“Did you… you know? Try taking care of things yourself?” I asked, getting wet just imagining him stroking himself while thinking of me.
“I may not have experience with sex, but I’ve been around for a while and I’m not an idiot.” Saul snorted. “I spent hours in the shower trying to deal with it, and all it did was make me more sensitive. In the past, I didn’t pay attention when other reapers spoke about their sexual escapades. But I remember hearing a rumor that once a reaper met his soulmate, they were the only person who could arouse him, and the only one who could get him off. In my case, I never experienced attraction to anyone or sexual desire until I met you.”
How did you respond to something like that?
“So we really are true soulmates? And I’m not just imagining the way I feel drawn to you?” My eyes widened as a new thought occurred to me. “Which means only I can turn you on and off?”
“Pet, I recognize that naughty look in your eyes.” Saul growled a playful warning and gently smacked my butt. “Yes, we’re true soulmates. But I knew that before my cock confirmed it. I believe it was nature’s way to ensure the perfectly matched reaper couples produce offspring. Since the male reaper is only attracted to his soulmate, all his attention is focused on her, ensuring she is well satisfied and bred before his erection subsides.”
“That’s kinda hot, but I’m sorry you were left hanging. Well, not hanging, more like— Oh, nevermind!” I bit my lip. “You hissed when I stroked you in the bar. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Everything is painful right now because of how sensitive I am. But your touch was intensely pleasurable.” His voice was husky as he placed soft kisses on my shoulders. “You are the only one whose touch I ever want to feel on my body.”
“Tell that to Zacharias.” I whimpered with every brush of his fingers against my overly sensitive skin. “He seems really into you trying different women out.”
“And I want to rip out his soul every time he says it. I’m sorry I have hidden the truth about what you mean to me. My goal was to protect you while I stayed close enough to Zacharias to uncover what he’s been hiding. I worried he would recognize you from the tunnels and seek vengeance for biting him. Worse, when he realizes I am no longer on his side, he will likely seek to use you as a pawn to control me.”
“I understand why you did what you did, Saul. It’s okay.” My heart soared with happiness at his admission. He was a good man with a protective streak a country mile wide.
Saul slipped two fingers inside me and groaned. “I love that you get so wet for me.”
Without thinking, I blurted out the truth, “Because you’re freaking hot and my body tries to turn my insides to ectoplasm or something every time I look at you. I still can’t believe a guy like you is actually kissing and touching me. You are way out of my league.”
“We’ll need to work on how you see yourself, pet. Because from where I’m standing, I have the sexiest woman on Earth soaked and smelling of desire, telling me she loves me. If you could see the way your body looks bent over in front of me, you’d know why every man in that bar was thinking about risking my wrath for the chance to approach you.” Saul was back to his silky purr as his hands traced every curve of my body.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but they would have to wait. “Saul,” I whimpered. “I need you. Now.”
Still, the frustrating man took his time stroking and stretching my tight channel as he undid his pants. By the time his erection sprung free, my knees were wobbling and barely holding me up.
I was thankful the man didn’t have one of the long dongs described in my favorite romance books. While I’d never ew someone else’s yum , the idea of a penis so long it could plunge inside me and reach my tonsils wasn’t exactly a turn on.
Where we might have a problem was his current girth. Let’s just say the scythe in his pants was pumped up and ready to jam… and by that, I mean jam inside me and never come back out.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You’re going to have to go slow, Saul. Give me time to adjust.”
“Just tell me what you need from me and I will do it,” Saul assured me. “If it hurts, tell me and we’ll stop.”
I leaned forward on the sink, lifting my butt to give him better access to my soaked entrance. Saul lined himself up, gently rubbing the rounded head against me. Even that little bit of friction had shivers racing along my skin.
Saul pushed the tip in, and we both moaned.
“You feel like paradise,” he whispered in awe.
“Wait. It gets better,” I promised.
Just like it had with Rhodes, my ghostly body shifted and adjusted my insides, creating a perfect fit for his cock. “I’m ready.”
With unbelievable control for a man who’d lived with a hard-on for two days, he slowly stretched and filled me. My eyes crossed and my legs gave out. Saul’s hand slipped under me to rest against my belly, holding me up with ease.
When he’d buried himself as deep as he could go, I smiled at him in the mirror. “Now the fun part. Slide out and thrust in faster this time.”
Saul did as I instructed and gasped, “My love!”
“Saul? My body is too sensitive and worked up from the teasing in the bar and your touch. I’m not going to last long.” I struggled to speak as he plunged inside me a little faster each time, causing my desire to coil tighter and tighter as he drove us toward release.
“Why do you sound like that’s a bad thing? It means you’re receptive to my touch.” His hands moved to grip my hips, holding me in place as he grew rougher with each thrust.
“I don’t mind, but when I climax, my muscles are going to clamp down on you. It might hurt.” My warning fell on deaf ears.
“It will be fine. Don’t fight your release because of me.” His mouth sucked and kissed every inch of my skin he could reach. “I want to feel you come while I’m inside you.”
He shifted his hips a fraction and drove himself inside me, causing my coiled desire to spring free, tossing me into a body-convulsing orgasm. I screamed his name as my muscles tightened around his scorching length, quivering with each wave of pleasure that washed through me.
Saul didn’t stand a chance.
He roared my name as his muscles went stiff and my tight walls milked the orgasm from him. Saul used one hand to brace himself on the sink, and the other to keep me upright as our bodies jerked and trembled with pleasure.
Just when I thought it was over, my hip began to burn beneath his hand. “Ow, ow, ow! I think you’re setting me on fire.”
Saul jerked his hand away. “I don’t have that ability, pet.”
Standing on wobbly tiptoes, I twisted my hip toward the mirror and gasped.
“Did you tattoo me?”
Saul didn’t respond, and I glanced up to find him staring at the mark with shock and awe. “It’s the mark of a soulmate.”
“Where’s yours?” I huffed, eyeing the exposed skin along his hips. “If I’m going to be branded, you should have one too!”
“Wherever you want it. But Axelle? It might not work, since you aren’t a reaper.” Saul traced his fingers along the four-inch purple scythe on my hip. “Reaper marks have only been recorded in couples where both partners are reapers. I was able to mark you because I’m a reaper.”
“Do you want me to try?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes. I’d love to be marked by you.”
“Okay…” I dragged out the word. “How does this work, and where am I supposed to put it?”
“Wherever you want,” he answered, then laughed when I shot a look between his legs and wiggled my eyebrows. “If that’s what you want, but I’d prefer a place where I could show it off. Maybe my arm, chest, or neck?”
My insides went all gooey with love. He wanted everyone to know he was mine.
“I love the idea of it being on your neck so I can kiss it even when you’re wearing a shirt.” Even though we’d just had sex, I felt shy admitting it, and the bathroom lights flickered above us.
Saul slipped out of his shirt and kneeled in front of me.
“If it doesn’t work, I will get a tattoo that matches your mark here.” Catching my right hand in his, he placed a gentle kiss on my palm before pressing my hand against the side of his neck. “Think about how I belong to you. If the reaper magic is going to work, the mark will come naturally since we just claimed each other for the first time.”
Keeping my hand on his neck, I leaned in and kissed him. He was mine, just as Rhodes was mine.
How did I get so lucky?
My hand warmed, then burned, and I fought the urge to yank it away from his skin.
Saul covered my hand with his. “Be still, pet. It will be over in a minute.”
When the burn faded, I let my hand drop from his skin. There on his neck was a purple scythe, exactly like the one on my hip.
Saul stood and looked into the mirror. “It’s perfect.”
BANG. BANG. BANG.
I jumped, floating upward until I could cling to Saul’s neck like a terrified cat.
Saul shook his head in disbelief. “I couldn’t even make you blink, but someone knocking on the door has you leaping three feet off the ground?”
BANG. BANG. BANG.
“Reaper, your presence is required immediately.”
Saul slid up his pants as though he had all the time in the world, and as though I weren’t still clinging to his back like a koala. “By whose order?”
“The Reaper Court!” the male voice shouted through the door.
Saul’s lips curved into a smile as he took his time dressing.
“Why are you smiling? It doesn’t sound like they’re here for a social call.”
My handsome reaper’s chest rumbled with amusement. “The court avoids me, so if they want to see me, it means I’ve found a new way to upset their rules and get under their skin. I can’t wait to find out what it was this time. Our species is slowly going extinct, but they are too set in the old ways to consider changes that might benefit the reapers.”
“What if they punish you?” I struggled to even say the words. “Can they hurt you? Kill you?”
Saul finished buttoning his shirt and caught my face between his palms. “My love, stop fretting. I’ve already told you, no one messes with Death. Now, let me help you fix your dress.”
“No need.” I winked, then focused on the energy wavering and bending around my body.
When I finished, I looked exactly as I had when I’d walked into the bar early this morning.
Saul caught my hand and spun me in a slow circle, inspecting my body with open appreciation. “That was impressive, pet. I haven’t heard of ghosts being able to manipulate energy with such finesse.”
I glowed beneath his praise. “Thank you.”
“Let’s go introduce you to my fan club,” Saul teased, looping my arm through his and leading me toward the door.