The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel Book 1)(46)

Inch by inch, he pulled her toward him, fitting himself between her legs, frustratingly close, but it wasn't enough. The delicious warmth of his hands on the inside of her thighs caused her muscles to twitch. Fire invaded her at his touch, and she moaned at the torment. When his fingers swept a bit higher, her body bowed into him, craving more.

"Please. I need you." Panting, she could barely manage to get the words out. She captured his hands and placed them where she needed him most.

He deepened the caress, exploring her with a light, demanding touch that made her tremble. Time stilled until she couldn't remember her name. Heat exploded through her, and she arched into him. Pleasure suffused her, and she fell helpless into the void. It had been too long for her to wait for him like she wanted.

The euphoria faded, and she had to force her eyes open when all she wanted to do was wrap herself around him and enjoy the peace. The first thing she saw was Ruman's face as he hovered over her.

A lazy smile crossed her lips. It disappeared when he pounced, plundering her mouth. Willing to give as good as she got, she hitched her leg over his hip. In one smooth move, she had him on his back and under her in seconds.

Breaking the kiss, she worked her way down his body, lavishing areas where he tensed and trembled at her touch, paying them extra attention with her tongue and teeth.

"Caly?"

Unheeding, Caly continued lower, making sure her body brushed against his. When her lips met his pants, she glanced up.

Ecstasy and pain were etched across his face. His fists clenched at his side, his jaw locked so tight a muscle twitched, and Caly knew he suffered.

"Ruman." She waited until he looked at her. "Watch."

Her hands loosened the closure on his pants and dragged the jeans down his legs, leaving him open to her gaze. The smell of musk and something primitive invaded her senses and all she wanted was him. Now.

Easing up his body, she stilled when her mouth hovered over his hips, certain she had his undivided attention. "Say my name." Each word poured warm air over his exposed flesh, and his body tensed.

"Caly."

The desperate plea struck her heart. Reaching up with one hand, she knitted their fingers together. "Don't let go."

Without waiting, she took him in her mouth, and his body bucked under hers. Suddenly, his hand was free of hers, nudging her away. When she eased back, he had her on her back, looming over her in less time than it took to catch her breath.

The plan to torture him disappeared from her mind once she caught the intensity on his face. As if she'd never found her pleasure, she wanted him again. She wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Now."

He swept an arm around her, gathering her close. Her senses filled with his smell, his taste, his skin. Then he reached for her hand with his and entwined their fingers together. Gazing into her eyes, he surged inside her then stilled.

"Caly?" The tenderness in his voice made her eyes flash open. She hadn't realized she'd closed them. Her heart hiccupped in her chest at the tortured pleasure on his face.

Wanting to push him over the edge, Caly clenched her lower muscles.

Ruman sucked in a sharp breath, and Caly did it again. He bucked against her, bringing a wave of pleasure that threatened to consume her. A groan rumbled from Ruman, and he set a demanding rhythm.

Now it was her turn to cling to him. She held herself in check, eager to see him reach his peak before she allowed herself to surrender. Each move was harder and deeper than the last. Caly leaned forward, unable to resist marking him. "Mine." She licked his skin low on his neck and bit.

"Yes." He shouted and surged against her. His fingers tightened on hers, and Caly had to blink to stay focused on him and not close her eyes as pleasure threatened to overtake her.

The look on his face, the intensity of his pleasure sent her plunging over the edge. Back arching, she cried out. Ruman stiffened. He whispered her name on a breath of wonder and fell into the abyss with her.

As their bodies cooled, Caly opened her eyes to find Ruman watching her. Unwilling to be a bug under a glass, she pushed him on his back and laid her head on his good shoulder.                       
       
           



       

In a move that melted her heart, Ruman's arm came around her and snuggled her closer. She slipped her arm over his waist, shivering when his fingers swept back and forth over her spine like he couldn't resist touching her.

Drowsiness filled her, but she refused to lose any remaining time they had left. Daylight was only an hour away.

"Ruman?"

"Hmmm?"

A slight pause followed while she tried to work up her nerve. "Tell me what your life was like … before you became a guardian." Tucked in his arms, she refused to call him a demon.

Not after what they'd just shared.

Her heart ached when Ruman went rigid beneath her head. His arms tightened like a band, pushing the air out of her lungs. If he breathed, she couldn't tell.

She'd ruined it.

Why couldn't she learn to keep her big mouth shut?





Chapter Twenty-seven





Caly waited, gliding her fingertips across his abdomen and chest in large, sweeping stokes to soothe them both. Despite his reaction, she refused to take back her question. It was too important. She was starved for any information about him, and desperately wanted to know what she was up against.

"My life?" He gave a casual shrug that belied his strangled tone. "It's different from what you've experienced. We're not human and aren't treated the same." He paused as if deciding whether to share more then sighed.

"I was an angel of the lower regions. My duty was to make all the souls that came before me record their sins, wait for the ruling and deliver them for judgment."

She didn't think he noticed that he spoke about his life in the past tense. Though she wanted to know about him and not his job, she was greedy enough to take what he was willing to share. When he didn't say more, Caly nudged him, half afraid to learn more. She couldn't compete with his home. "What happened?"

"Day after day, year after year, I listened to the worst of humanity as they listed their crimes and begged forgiveness."

He lifted the arm from around her and rested it over his eyes as if he couldn't bear to look at her. She froze, afraid that if he noticed her, he'd stop.

"I couldn't take it anymore. A woman murdered her family, but because she begged for forgiveness, the piece of dung won a reprieve." His breathing increased, his chest billowed with his agitation. "She didn't feel any remorse, said she was doing what was commanded of her when she killed. It was a lie, and we both knew it."

A humorless laugh escaped, bringing a chill to her skin so cold that her chest ached when she spoke. "What happened?"

"The crime that landed me here is I lost her reprieve papers and damned her soul."

"But you did nothing wrong." Indignant, she rose up and turned to look at him. "She deserved punishment for her crimes."

He dropped his arm and faced her with a shuttered expression. "But it wasn't my place to pass judgment. I didn't trust the system enough to follow the procedures." His harsh laugh grated on her ears. "The woman was given a temporary reprieve. After due consideration, she was consigned to Hell for her crime and lack of remorse."

He pulled her down tight against him, pushed her head back on his chest and absentmindedly trailed his fingers through her hair. She would've said he did it to distract her, but he didn't appear to notice the way her heart leapt at his touch.

"By then it was already too late for me. Because of my years of loyalty, I was sent to earth to become a guardian statue. Until I pass my test, I will remain here." Caly felt his lips brush her brow, and they both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.

She understood rules and the need for them, but she wondered if she wouldn't have done the same thing in his place. His doubt was the only reason they were together, and she couldn't help but be grateful.

She must have nodded off when a loud knock jarred her awake. The clock said they'd slept the day away, it was already sunset. A glance revealed the shutters secured the window against the dying daylight.

She slowly twisted to face Ruman, and her breath escaped in a big puff. Human. She'd been spared waking up to cold stone. Warmth flooded her face, and she resisted the urge to touch his exposed chest.

"Caly?" Jarred opened the door, sucked in a harsh breath and promptly whirled, closing the door nearly shut. "Give a guy some warning, would you?"

His disgruntled tone brought a crooked smile to her face. Caly untangled herself from Ruman and padded to her closet for clothes. "That's what you get for entering without waiting. What's wrong?"                       
       
           



       

"Henry needs to speak with you. He's insisting." She glanced at him through the crack of the door. Both annoyance and concern were etched on his face as he stared at his feet. "He won't be awake long."

"I'll be right down." They needed her. It was as simple as that. Incredibly sore from the fight and the more recent activities, Caly realized the futility of trying to hurry. Remembering those actives in vivid detail brought a smile to her face. She was pulling at her shirt when a rustle of sheets made her turn.