Page 40 of Guarded by the Gargoyle (Hidden Hollow #3)

38

WILLOW

B ut after waiting around the Flower Bower for two long, silent hours it didn’t seem like Kael was going to make an appearance. I had fed Miss Sassy her nightly dinner of wet food and taken a shower. Then I put on a silky red robe the cottage had provided for me and paced around the house for an hour. Finally I parked myself on the couch and I had been sitting by the fire waiting, but I was feeling more and more sure he wasn’t going to show.

Maybe he’s not allowed to leave Heaven, I thought sadly, as I looked into the crackling flames. I thought about calling Pop-pop again, but I didn’t like to bother him twice in one night. I knew he would do his best for me. If he couldn’t get Kael to contact me, then it wasn’t for lack of trying.

Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be…

Then suddenly the golden glow of the fire was eclipsed by a much brighter light. I gasped and threw up a hand to shield my eyes—what was happening?

The brilliant white pillar of light shimmered in front of me for a moment…and then someone came out of it. After a moment of blinking I realized who it was.

“Kael!” I started to jump up to greet him, but he had already gone to his knees before me.

“Willow,” he murmured and his deep voice was filled with pain.

The brilliant column of light that had brought him had disappeared by now, so I was able to see his face without being blinded. My heart nearly stopped in my chest when I saw how unhappy he was. His silvery eyes were filled with sadness and regret and his mouth was set in lines of sorrow.

“Oh no—I shouldn’t have sent my Pop-pop after you, should I?” I blurted, feeling terrible. “You want to stay in Heaven—of course you do. Why would anyone want to come back to a place where they endured years of punishment? Kael, I’m so, so sorry!”

“Willow, please!” Leaning forward, he captured my hands in his. “I am the one who should be saying these things—I am the one who is sorry,” he said, looking at me earnestly.

“Sorry for what?” I asked blankly. “For leaving me? Because you couldn’t help that—I turned the key in the lock and set you free. But I only did it to keep you from getting sucked back through the portal to Hell,” I added quickly.

Kael shook his head.

“Do you really not understand? I am sorry for taking you against your will—for forcing you when I was in my demonic form.”

“But you didn’t do it on purpose,” I pointed out.

“That doesn’t matter. I hurt you.” His eyes were full of regret. “Even now, I can feel your pain. Here…” He laid one big hand flat in my lap, indicating my thighs. “I burned you with my demon seed. For that there can be no forgiveness.”

“Yes, there can!” I exclaimed. “Because I forgive you—Kael, I’ve missed you so much!”

“I have missed you too, Mistress and you’re very kind. But I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he murmured, shaking his head.

I could see that he was really beating himself up and filled with guilt. If I couldn’t find a way around that—a way to help him forgive himself—I would stand no chance of ever getting him to stay with me. If he even could stay, since he technically now belonged in Heaven. Still, I had to try.

“I have an idea,” I said slowly. “What if you healed me—you know, like you did before? Could you forgive yourself then?”

He looked up at me uncertainly.

“You would allow me to heal you? To put my mouth on the places where I hurt you so badly?”

I felt like my heart might burst.

“Yes, Kael,” I said reaching out to stroke my fingers through his hair. “I would—with all my heart, I would.”

“Willow…Mistress…” He leaned forward and I parted my legs so I could wrap myself around him.

Since he was still kneeling and I was sitting on the couch, this worked pretty well. I was about to wrap my legs around his sides and wrap my arms around his neck. For a long moment we clung together. He felt so good in my arms—his muscular body molding to mine and his warm, spicy scent seemed to send my hormones into overdrive. I wanted him.

I didn’t even mind that the silky red robe the cottage had provided had opened and I was naked beneath it. I barely noticed my own state of undress, I was so glad to hug my fallen angel again.

But Kael certainly noticed my near-nakedness.

“Mmm, Mistress,” he murmured, pulled back a little to look at me. “You’re bare under this little robe.”

“The better to let you heal me,” I told him. “Which is what I want you to do now.”

I was beginning to feel sexy and bossy—just like I had the first time we’d come together. From the way Kael’s silver eyes went half-lidded at my tone, he was feeling it too.

“Show me what you would have me do, Mistress,” he rumbled. “Show me where to heal you.”

“Here,” I said, and spread my legs for him.

I wasn’t wearing any panties and I saw Kael’s eyes go wide as I opened for him. But the next minute, the guilt was back on his face when he saw the faded red marks on my inner thighs.

“Gods, I hurt you so deeply,” he murmured, leaning forward to study the marks which wouldn’t fade completely.

“No more of that talk!” I exclaimed. “I’ll let you heal me but no guilt allowed.”

“But I—” he began.

I cut him off by weaving my fingers through his thick black hair and pulling him forward.

Of course he was strong enough to resist me if he didn’t want to do it…but I didn’t feel any push back from him at all. Instead, he let out a low groan that sounded like pure need and murmured,

“Gods, Mistress…”

Then he began kissing and licking my inner thighs.

My heart was pounding and my breath was coming in short little pants as I watched him do it. His healing power made me tingle and all the tingles seemed to be going directly to my pussy, which was getting wetter and hotter and more needy by the second.

But Kael refused to be rushed. He continued to kiss my inner thighs tenderly and bathed them with his tongue until every last red mark was gone. Then he looked up at me, his eyes lazy with lust.

“Mistress,” he growled softly. “May I heal you deeper? I filled your pussy with my seed as well—I know you must need healing there.”

Actually, I wasn’t burned on the inside nearly as badly as I had been on my inner thighs—I don’t know why. But who was I to refuse more “healing?”

“You may,” I said primly and wove my fingers through his hair again. “In fact, I’ll guide you.”

He growled softly and looked up at me.

“Gods, I love it when you guide me, Mistress—when you tell me exactly what you need from me.”

“Right now what I need is for you to lick my pussy,” I said, still feeling bossy.

My words seemed to really affect him because he groaned and shifted some. He was wearing a short white garment, with a golden sash—like something you might see in a film about Ancient Greece. Or about Heaven, I guessed. Looking down, I could see that the thin fabric was tenting in a most suggestive way.

“Service me, Kael,” I told him in my best Mistress voice. “Heal my pussy with your tongue.”

“Yes, Mistress,” he groaned. And then he wound his muscular arms around my thighs and split me even wider. I barely had time to gasp before he leaned over and began to absolutely devour me.

The very first time Kael had gone down on me, he had been gentle and slow—clearly knowing that I wasn’t used to it and that I felt uncertain about myself.

But now that my confidence was on display and I knew exactly what I wanted, he was more than willing to get a little crazy. I moaned and tugged his hair, bucking my hips up to meet his talented tongue. One minute he was lashing my aching clit with the tip of his tongue and the next he was sucking it into his mouth and caressing it.

The back and forth was driving me crazy, but finally he settled down to licking me just the way I loved it, slowly stroking the right side of my clit, which was the most sensitive place.

I moaned and pressed my pussy shamelessly against his mouth, riding his tongue as he teased me slowly to orgasm. This wasn’t about healing me anymore—he just wanted to make me come. That was fine with me—I wanted to come, too and I was getting close…so close…I just needed a little something more…

As though he knew exactly what I needed, Kael unwrapped one arm and slipped two long fingers inside me. With slow, deep pressure, he began to massage that secret spot that sent me into the stratosphere.

“Oh… Oh!” I gasped as my orgasm finally overtook me and my back arched. “Kael, I’m coming! You’re making me come so hard!”

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. He just kept licking, riding out my orgasm and rubbing inside me until I started pulling away because of the sensitivity. Finally, he sat back on his heels, licking his lips to get the last of my juices.

“Gods, Mistress—always so delicious,” he growled softly. “Do you feel healed now?”

I started to say yes…and then stopped myself. Even though he had given me an incredible orgasm, I was determined that we weren’t done yet. I still needed more from him—a lot more.

“ Almost ,” I said, leaning forward to kiss him. I loved my flavor on his mouth. “But Kael, I still feel empty inside. I need you to fill me, can you do that for me?”

His silver eyes took on a shadowed look.

“I want to, Mistress but the memory of hurting you the last time I took you is still so fresh.”

I had a sudden inspiration—maybe a way to banish this guilt of his forever. Could I do it? I never had before but I had secretly watched porn that involved what I was thinking of in the past. I was sure I could manage and the cottage would give me everything I needed to pull it off.

Yes, I decided—I was going to do it.

“This you won’t be taking me,” I told him. “I think it’s time that I took you.”

His eyes were suddenly half-lidded again and I could see the lust in his gaze. Oh yes, he was into this. I had thought he might be.

“That sounds like a good idea,” he growled softly. “What exactly do you want to do to me, Mistress? How do you want to use my body for your pleasure?”

“Give me a minute and I’ll show you,” I told him. “Will you promise to stay here and not go back to Heaven?”

“I’ll be here, Mistress,” he murmured.

“Good—come upstairs to the bedroom in ten minutes,” I told him.

Then I hurried upstairs to get ready.