Michael raised his eyebrows in surprise. “When were you in a cop uniform?”
I flashed him my most mischievous smile as I flagged down a taxi to take us home.
“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Jacob was exactly where we’d left him when we got back to my apartment. His eyes found mine when I walked in the bedroom, tossing my jacket on the bedspread.
“Any luck with your memories?”
The boy shook his head. “Sorry.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing the remote to turn off the TV. “Well, there’s no rush. Hopefully we can get more things done in the morning. In the meantime, you’re welcome to stay here.”
He adopted a curious expression. “What will we do until then?”
“We’ll make Michael read stuff to us.”
With that, I turned to the angel who was currently giving me a dirty look. “Right?”
Michael smiled, but I could tell I’d annoyed him. “Why not?”
Inwardly cackling, I climbed onto the bed. Jacob hovered next to me, seeming interested in the books Michael removed from the bag.
“Any requests?”
“Hmm…why don’t we start with the Odyssey?”
“Do you have any idea how long that is?”
“Guess you’d better get started then, huh?” Defeated, Michael seated himself on the side of the bed and cracked open the book. I settled in, closing my eyes as he began reading. Some small part of me couldn’t help but think: I could get used to this.
Thunder roared overhead, shaking the bedroom walls like an earthquake. Rain smacked the windowpanes and the glass trembled. They weren’t the only things shaking in this room. Darkness pervaded every inch of my vision, but I could feel—and what I felt now was unlike anything else. Heat, firm skin, thin cotton sheets, and strong muscles.
Soft lips devoured my throat, climbing higher to the spot where my jaw met my ear. Strong arms wrapped around my back, holding me upright and pressing me against a man’s smooth chest. His hands stroked the length of my spine. Shivers rolled down my skin. I buried my fingers in his hair. I couldn’t see him, but something about his touch felt familiar. I wasn’t afraid. In fact, I felt safer in his arms than I ever had in my entire life.
He grabbed my waist and rolled us over, crawling above me. His lips found mine in the dark and the kiss sent shuddering waves of pleasure down my body. My hands slid up to his shoulders and wrapped around the back of his neck. My thighs parted. Then, complete and utter bliss. Even without sight, we somehow moved together as one. Seconds before I reached the edge, lightning split the skies, giving me a brief glimpse of the man above me. Brown hair. Full lips. Green eyes.
Warmth brushed my cheek. I stirred, tilting my face away from it. It was probably just sunlight. Which meant it was morning. Boo.
I lay motionless on my left side, unwilling to move a muscle since my bed was so warm. Surely I could grab another hour or so of sleep. I curled my legs in a bit to get more comfortable, but frowned when I felt them touch something foreign. Not a book, which happened sometimes. This ‘something’ was warm and alive.
I cracked one eyelid open and found myself staring Michael in the face. He was lying next to me, eyes closed, with the book resting below his chin. That wasn’t the most pressing thing, however. Sometime during the night I’d scooted closer, and his hand rested on the curve of my hip, almost possessively. Each time he exhaled, it spilled hot air across one side of my face. I stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out how to react. Then the dream rushed up to the surface of my mind like a tsunami. I felt my entire body tense as I realized who the man in it had been. Son of a bitch.
Michael made a small sound in the back of his throat and opened his eyes, looking right at me. Neither one of us moved. I ventured to fill the awkward silence first.
“Um. Hi?”
The archangel smiled in a sleepy fashion. “You always know the appropriate thing to say in social situations.”
“I am human, after all.”
“I keep forgetting,” Michael said, sliding his hand away from my waist as if it were nothing unusual. He rolled over onto his back and yawned, stretching his tall frame. I ignored the admittedly nice view and instead forced myself to sit up, wondering where Jacob had gone. The thought didn’t last long, because all I could think about was the fact that I just had an incredibly dirty dream about an archangel and then woke up accidentally cuddling with him.
“Jordan?”
“Huh-what?”
He gave me a confused look. “I asked if you were hungry.”
Apparently not for food, a little voice cackled in the back of my head. I promptly told it to shut up and just nodded. He stood and left the room in search of breakfast. I watched him go and concluded that I was definitely going to Hell.
The clock read half-past noon, confirming that we’d stayed up for most of the night reading Homer. I couldn’t remember which one of us had fallen asleep first. That was when it hit me.