Page 18 of Deviled Eggs (One Handed Holidays: Crossed Swords Edition #4)

Xalreth

Two months later

My foot kicks beneath me in the stark white lobby, the polished floor reflecting an almost painful brightness. Pretentious motherfuckers. I regret not wearing sunglasses. An Archangel with her wings folded close to her body eyeballs me warily. Her marble desk guards an ornate golden door, and she’s obviously uncomfortable with my presence outside this particular office.

The one belonging to Micah’s boss.

Yep, you heard that right.

There’s a demon sitting outside God’s office. Needless to say, everyone else in the expansive space is giving me a wide berth. It’s as though I’ve caught a biblical plague with the way they cram themselves into the furthest corners. They won’t even look in my direction, like they’ll be smited by holy lightning by acknowledging my presence.

The only one who has dared to approach me is a handsome Angel, with tight red curls that catch the light. His giant green doe eyes crinkle as he gestures at the seat beside me.

“Anyone sitting here?”

“No?” I raise my brow in suspicion as he sinks into the leather chair, dragging his hands down his thighs as he blows out a long exhale.

“First time?”

“Um, yes?” I don’t mean to answer his every question with one of my own, but I’m confused about why he’s talking to me. My resting bitch face must need some work.

“Are you here to see The Big Man, too? Rumor has it he enjoys his threesomes, although I didn’t realize I’d be sharing. That’ll be a hell of a holy trinity, huh?” He eyeballs me appreciatively. “Though I can’t say I mind. A demon… who knew God would be so exotic with his choice of lovers.”

A moment of stunned silence stretches before I finally stammer, “Oh, uh… no,” and I don’t miss how his smile falls. “My boyfriend is in there with him right now. I’m afraid you get to worship his altar all by yourself today.”

“Is your boyfriend an Angel or…” He trails off as he focuses on something beyond me, his eyes growing wide. “Fuck, it’s Micah. He’s the absolute worst . Avoid eye contact and pretend like you don’t see him, and maybe he will just walk past.”

Micah’s face is hard when I glance up, no doubt from hearing the redheaded Angel’s words. His expression softens when he meets my eyes, but I spot the mischief dancing in his gaze. A rush of air hits me as he snaps his wings out wide, stopping directly in front of me. Pure white feathers take up my entire field of vision.

“Are you showing off, angel?” The man beside me stiffens with a hiss, attempting to disappear into his seat. A quiet chuckle shakes my shoulders as I reach up and fist the waist of Micah’s pants, tugging him closer as I stand. “Or are you trying to intimidate me?”

He flashes me a radiant smile as he leans to capture my lips, and I accept his kiss greedily. It took Micah a long time to be comfortable showing affection publicly, so his displays feel incredibly intimate when they happen. I never deny his need for touch, no matter where we are or what we’re doing. He grabs my bottom lip with his teeth as he pulls back, and I chuckle again.

“Watch yourself, pretty boy.”

“Holy shit, that was hot.” I glance down to find the redhead staring at Micah with a whole different type of interest. “Are you sure you guys aren’t interested in joining us? That would be a night to remember.”

“He’s mine,” I snap, baring my teeth as the Angel gulps, nodding as he drops his gaze submissively to the floor. “And if I so much as catch wind of you whimpering his name when you jerk off in the shower, I will hunt you down.”

“Xal,” Micah scolds, and I turn to raise my brow at him as I hook his collar and tug him closer.

“Do you have something to say about that? Are you asking me to be civil to the guy who wants what belongs to me? I’m not so sure I can manage that.”

“Of course not,” he says with a sweet kiss. “You make the rules.”

“That’s my good boy,” I murmur with a light tap to his cheek, and his pupils dilate, swallowing most of the purple in his irises.

The Angel continues to stare, making a desperate little whine in the back of his throat as he squirms in his chair. “Jesus Christ, I’m not going to need any foreplay after this. And you’re positive you won’t reconsider—”

“No!” we shout in unison.

“I heard that!” An unearthly deep voice booms from behind the gilded door, and everyone in the lobby freezes. “How many times do we have to have this discussion about using my son’s name in vain?”

“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper, and Micah nods as we run towards the exit, shoving each other out of the way and laughing like a bunch of idiots. We push through the door and collapse out into the hallway together, and his fingers lace through mine as he continues to chuckle. Everyone in the corridor stares, wide-eyed shock covering their faces, but we ignore them as we walk past.

Outside, the sun warms my skin as Micah leads me down an isolated path. “So?” I ask when it’s clear he’s not planning on speaking up without being prompted.

“Hmm? So, what?”

“Don’t play coy. What did he say?”

“His exact words?”

“ Micah, ” I growl, and he laughs again. It’s lighthearted and carefree, traits that were nearly nonexistent in him when we met. The light breeze blows through his hair, and I take a few seconds to admire the gorgeous planes of his face.

His lips pull back in an almost imperceptible smirk, pitting that dimple on his cheek that drives me wild. “Going sappy on me, are you?”

“Never.”

His smile spreads as he laughs, and I can’t help it as I chuckle along with him. “Don’t worry, darling, I won’t tell.” He’s quiet again for a moment as he leads me to the side of the path, leaning on the railing and staring off into the cloud-dusted sky. “He said, and I quote, ‘It’s about time you took a vacation, Micah. Perhaps a few weeks of getting your dick sucked will help morale around here.’”

“He’s such an ass,” I mutter with a laugh.

“He really is.” Still grinning, he twists me to face him, and he leans down to press a kiss onto my lips. “So, what are we going to do with all this free time?”

“I’ve already got a bag packed.”

His brow raises. “What’s in it?”

“Necessities.”

“So… ropes?”

“Yep.”

“Gags?”

“A few.”

Another soft laugh breezes from his lips. “Maybe we should go to my place and pack, too. We might have different ideas of what is deemed essential.”

“Have you given any thought to where you want to spend our vacation?”

He smiles, wrapping an arm around my waist and tucking me into his side. “Anywhere with you is perfect, Xal.”

“Who’s getting sappy now?” I tease, and he places a finger under my chin and tilts my face to his.

“I love you,” he whispers, and I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer as his lips move with mine. The taste of him floods my mouth as our tongues roll, hands coasting over skin in a frantic, desperate exploration while our bodies press together so tightly every curve and dip aligns.

When we come up for air, we’re both flushed and panting. “Careful, or I’ll bend you over and fuck you right here, and we’ll never actually make it anywhere.”

“Don’t tempt me with a good time.” He comes back for more and pouts when I pull away.

“Such a sweet angel,” I murmur, dragging my thumb over his bottom lip. “And with such a perfect mouth. Regrettably, I must take a raincheck on those plans, because I have to make a pit stop before we leave.”

“It can’t wait?”

“God, you are stunning when you pout, aren’t you?”

“Does that mean you’ll give me my way?”

I laugh, weaving our fingers together and tugging him beside me. “Not this time.” We walk along the sidewalk, enjoying the mild weather and beautiful scenery of the realm. It’s peaceful, although Micah snaps his wings out whenever we come across other Angels. Containing my eye roll is a chore every time.

The occupants of Heaven are still wary in his presence, though they learned early in our relationship not to give him any grief about his demon lover. A lower ranking Angel was almost fried by heavenly fire when he insulted me under his breath. Micah’s wrath was only quelled when I asked him to stop, and word spread quickly about the demon who has the mighty Archangel on a leash.

If only they knew.

Ever since, they’ve steered clear, but no one else has commented. They leave us alone, and that’s fine with us both.

Micah’s brows furrow as we approach a familiar building, and he glances at me in question just as the door swings open. Beau and Azrael step out into the sun and wave, and as Azrael trips on a rock, Beau snaps his arm out to catch him like it’s second nature.

“This is your errand?” Micah asks, confused. “Stopping by Beau’s classroom?”

Beau walks over and thumps Micah on the shoulder, giving him a squeeze before Micah rips his arm away impatiently. We all chuckle as Beau rolls his eyes, then turns his attention towards me. “Everything’s set.”

“I really appreciate your help,” I say, reaching over to shake his hand as he gives me a giant smile. The sentiment is sincere, because the large human is impossible not to like. Azrael gives me an excited grin from behind him, bouncing on his feet as though he’s unable to stand still.

“What sort of help?” Micah asks, and I only grin as I wave goodbye to Beau and Azrael and lead him towards the building. “Xal, you cannot ignore me just because you don’t want to answer.”

“Wanna bet?” I mutter, and he huffs a haughty scoff as I pull the door open. It’s pitch black when we walk inside—the windows have been blacked out and the lights are off. Micah can’t see it yet, but all the furniture has been shoved into closets or along the perimeter of the room.

“What are we…” The words die in his throat as I click a few buttons on the remote control Beau snuck into my palm as we shook hands. Dim lights illuminate, shining on the endless roses that line the room in vases, and the scattering of crimson petals on the ground. Music floats from the speakers in a slow melody.

“What—” He tries again, but his voice cracks and he closes his mouth to take a shuddering inhale. “What is this? What… what did you do?”

I turn to him with a smile, but it falters when I catch the devastation on his face. A single droplet rolls down his cheek as he stares at me, his bottom lip stiff as he tries to control his emotions. “You said you always wanted to go dancing.” I reach to wipe away the tear, my thumb drifting back and forth over his defined cheekbone. “Is this not what you wanted? Did you want—”

My words are cut off as he slams his lips into mine, shaking his head even as he kisses me senseless. “This is perfect,” he whispers against my lips. “This is… everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”

My palms land on his cheeks, forcing his eyes to stay on mine as I wipe away his tears and smooth his hair back from his face. “I love you, Micah.” I back up a few steps and hold my hand out for his, dipping into a bow when he slips his fingers into my grip. “May I have this dance?”

His eyes close as he nods, drawing me to his chest as we sway to the music. “You may. This one… the next one… and every one after that, darling. I belong to you, always.”

And we dance.