Page 21 of Brave Spirit (Bound Spirit #6)

“Not unless you tell me to,” I reply against her tender flesh, and then I switch to the other breast.

I take my time lavishing her breasts with a singular focus before I consider moving on to other things.

After lowering her feet back onto solid ground, her lust heavy eyelids flutter closed as my hand travels down the length of her belly and between her legs.

Touching her through her jeans, I grow hard watching pleasure and need take over her delicate features.

My voice is a deep, low rumble when I seductively command, “Ask for more, columba mea .”

Her rosy lips part, and whimpers of desire pour from her mouth as she rocks her hips into my palm. “Kaleb, more. Give me more.”

“Always,” I promise, unbuttoning her jeans.

Slipping my hand inside, I stroke her through her damp panties and purr against her ear.

“You feel so good on my fingers, but I bet you taste even better.” My free hand returns to her bare breast, cupping her as I pinch her nipple between my fingers.

“You have a choice to make. Fingers…” I run one thick finger along her folds, making her squirm.

“Or mouth.” I lick a long hot trail up her neck.

“I can’t,” she pants, her body a live wire that’s sensitive to every touch.

Pushing her panties aside, I dip my finger along her entrance, coating it with her arousal.

“I could do both.” I drop featherlight kisses along her neck as I make firm, slow circles around the apex of her pleasure.

“Would you like that? Falling apart on my fingers before I taste your sweet release?”

“I…” Her sentence breaks after the single syllable when my finger slowly pumps inside her while my thumb continues to stimulate her.

When she begins to rock into my hand while her fingers dig into my neck and shoulders, I smile against her heated skin. “That’s it, columba mea .” I curl my finger, searching for the spongy spot that will propel her to new heights of ecstasy. “Let go and take all I offer. Just feel.”

Her hips buck as she gasps my name, and her pleasure becomes mine.

It starts low in my belly, and my erection grows painful trapped in my jeans.

I feel the tide that builds within her, but I resist being swept away with it.

All my focus is on her, watching for the moment she shatters beneath my touch.

Carefully, I slip a second finger inside her. She’s incredibly tight, her muscles clenching around me, and when I find the right spot, her whole body begins to shake and shiver under the growing wave of her approaching release.

“Come for me, columba mea ,” I whisper hotly in her ear, picking up the pace. “I want to watch every second of pleasure cross your face.”

Lost for words, Callie nods loosely as she holds onto me like I’m the only tether she has to earth.

I revel in her growing ecstasy, watching her climb to the peak, her body shaking as her muscles tighten and strain under the building pressure, before sweet agony takes over her features. She becomes completely undone under the rush of her climax, twitching with the aftershocks that wash over her.

Withdrawing my fingers, I hold her up as her legs go weak, pulling her against my chest. While she pants for air, I drop soft kisses along her sweat dampened brow. “You are so incredible.”

“Me?” She half laughs, sliding her hands down my chest. “You did all the work. Sorry about that. I should have…”

“Nothing to apologize for,” I assure her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Everything happened the way I wanted it to. All I want is to focus on you.”

Callie reaches up to cup my face, and she looks at me with those eyes that see too much. “Why is that? Why focus just on me?”

“Because I love you,” I reply, hoping that this is enough for her as this morning’s events try to crawl back into my head. “Giving you pleasure gives me pleasure. Speaking of, I believe I promised a round two.”

I drop to my knees before her, ready to once again distract us both, my white wings half draped over the ground. Unfortunately, Callie has sensed that there is more to my motivations. She fixes her clothes then crouches down.

“Kaleb, what we just did was amazing, and I loved every part of it, but I can’t help feeling like there’s something you’re not telling me.” Again, she cups my face, running her thumb in an arch over my cheekbone. “Please don’t use being intimate with me as a way to ignore yourself.”

Her words slam into me, breaking the barriers holding back the emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. I lean forward, resting my head in the crook of her shoulder. My throat feels tight, strained under all the things I’ve been holding back.

Callie runs gentle fingers down my neck and back. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be strong all the time. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I don’t want to be responsible for whether souls make it to paradise,” I confess, shame filling me the instant the truth passes my lips.

“And now I’m supposed to go to school to become a surgeon.

My parents fought for this path, but…” Tears burn in my eyes as Abby’s hopeful face plagues my mind.

“I’ll have to look at every spirit and explain how I failed them, how I couldn’t save them. ”

“Oh, Kaleb,” she whispers and holds me tightly.

The weight of Felix’s, James’s, and Abby’s souls pull me under, and I can no longer hold back. I cling to her, digging my fingers into her skin, and let out a broken sob. Tears fall down my cheeks, and my body convulses as everything I’ve held inside pours out of me.

While she gently rocks me side to side, making a soothing noise of understanding, I unload all that’s happened between choked sobs.

I can’t remember the last time I broke down like this.

The nagging voice of perfection shouts that I need to stop.

Admitting that I hate my calling makes me a bad light nephilim and an ungrateful son.

What I think and feel shouldn’t matter when there are souls out there who need me.

When I fall silent, too drained to say more, Callie kisses my temple then adjusts our positions so she’s sitting and I’m lying on my back, my wings tucked away, with my head resting in her lap. I close my eyes against the late afternoon sun that finds its way through the leaves above.

Callie uses her nails to softly scratch my scalp.

Her touch is soothing, and the tension that’s been part of me for as long as I remember finally dissipates.

My whole body feels lighter, and in this moment, I feel peaceful contentment for the first time.

For once, my mind is empty, and I drift in the calm waters of nothingness.

“Kaleb,” Callie murmurs carefully, as if apologetic to break the silence, “if your future was yours to choose, what would you want to do?”

I take the time to truly consider the question, never really considering a future where I had a choice.

“I’d like to focus on helping the living, either mentally, like a counselor or therapist, or physically, similar to a firefighter or…

” I stop myself from sharing the one thing that seems cruel to envy when so many others are forced down that path.

Unfortunately, the girl I love is far more intuitive than is sometimes helpful, like the times when I don’t want to admit things to myself. “You want to fight demons like Donovan will.”

“Yes,” I admit in a guilty whisper. “I should be grateful that my calling doesn’t require actively putting myself in harm’s way, but it’s…

” I open my eyes to look up at her, hoping that I can express why I’d want a future that she finds unfair to ask of anyone.

“There’s a clearer right and wrong, a straightforward path to save lives in a way I’m uniquely built and trained to do.

” I release a tightly held breath. “The souls that die from demon attacks are tragic, but… but it’s something I can explain.

Their deaths aren’t their fault. I can handle working through the stages of that grief. ”

I’m relieved when she responds with an understanding smile.

Her gaze then drifts toward the view beyond the overlook.

“I’ve thought about this since the demons attacked my house.

” Her hand drifts to mine, resting on my chest, and gives it a squeeze.

“Ideally, I wouldn’t want you or Donovan in danger, but since Donovan has no choice…

” Her clear, water gray eyes return to mine, her expression conflicted.

“Since it’s something you want, have you considered going with Donovan when it’s time?

No one should have to face that fate alone.

” A sardonic smile crosses her lips. “I could make you one of those overpowered swords like I made for Donovan last Christmas.”

“As much as Donovan drives me crazy,” I reply, lacing my fingers together, “I don’t like the idea of him going at it alone either.” My heart aches with longing for a life I want. “But there’s no way the concilium will agree to it.”

Callie’s lips pinch, and anger furrows her fine eyebrows.

“Not even remotely respectfully, they can go fuck themselves. The division is stupid. The way you’re all treated like commodities to control is disgraceful.

They should be thanking their damn lucky stars that you want to protect the innocent from demons.

” Her fingernails start to dig into the back of my hand as she grows more outraged.

“Tell them they can take a long walk off a short cliff. It’s your life, your future. You get to decide what you do with it.”

My lips curl inward to stop myself from laughing. “That insult doesn’t hold much weight when you can fly.”

She glares down at me without any heat. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”

I lift her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “I do.” Giving myself time to imagine a new path for my future, I feel like who I am clicks into place. I’m a fighter, a protector. I’m imperfect but passionate in my convictions. My voice turns wistful. “I want that life.”

Callie leans forward, her long hair a curtain around her face, and a steely stubbornness enters her eyes.

“Then fight for it. Don’t take no for an answer.

” A dangerous smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth.

“If anyone has a problem with your chosen path, I’m more than happy to step in and convince them. ”

Reaching up to cup the back of her head, I lean up to give her a deep kiss. Amusement colors my words when I murmur, “I love you and all that you are, but sometimes you can be quite scary.”

Her smile grows. “Thank you.” She returns my kiss. “And I love you too.”