Page 9

Azrael

Lost in Beau’s company, the buzzing of summons is a distant, irritating hum that I easily drown out. Most of them go ignored without a second thought. It isn’t something I’m particularly proud of, but it’s the truth.

When the matches are extra compelling, I find a way to excuse myself and fulfill my responsibility, but responding to each of them would mean disappearing every fifteen minutes.

Beau probably already thinks I have IBS with the number of urgent trips I take to the bathroom. Honestly, the real miracle here is that he’s not terrified of my ass.

Summer break is approaching, so Beau’s work schedule has been busier than usual. We’ve only seen each other a few times for a quick meal. A hurried make-out session, if we have the time and privacy.

And one rushed hand job on his couch, where I fed him every drop of our cum while he moaned and sucked my fingers dry.

Dirty Beau is the best.

My confidence with my archery is improving daily, and when he is at work, so am I. While he’s in the classroom, I’m practicing my shooting in the Cherub realm, reviewing statistics and checking on matches, and, of course, answering summons.

The last few nights have been amazing. The process has become what it should’ve been this whole time—arrive, spot my targets, inspect their souls for compatibility, and shoot. Deliciously boring, with no more gymnastics skills needed. What used to be a frantic, clumsy nightmare has turned almost therapeutic, and it’s thanks to him.

Friday has finally come, which means the weekend. Two solid days of no work for Beau.

I knock on Micah’s office door, and he grumbles for me to enter. “Azrael,” he says as a greeting, nodding his head at me. “Half your time as The Cupid has passed, and I’ve been reviewing the numbers.”

Silently, he scrutinizes the papers on the desk, the only sound the rustle of turning pages. “And?” I finally prod when the quiet becomes uncomfortable, and he glances up with those icy lilac eyes.

“The first few days were rough… atrocious, even, but lately…” He trails off and leans back in his seat, rubbing his chin as he inspects me. “Your output has been comparable to Seraphiel’s, although I will begrudgingly admit you have a knack for pairings. These soul compatibilities are impeccable.”

“Thank you, sir.” I can’t hide that I’m taken aback at the praise. “In case you notice any dips in my productivity this weekend, I plan on taking it easy and won’t be responding to as many summons.”

He brushes me off with a wave of his hand, then further surprises me. “We have to get out of this mindset of working ourselves to death. Otherwise, we’ll end up with another World War situation, and I’d rather avoid that.”

“I, uh, think we all would, sir.” He gives me a clipped nod and returns to his work, signaling our conversation is finished.

That’s perfectly fine with me.

I have better things to do.

Beau answers the door before my knuckles even graze the wood, a wide smile splitting his face as he flings it open. “There’s my man,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around me and dipping me backward for a long, tender kiss.

“Well, hello handsome.” His sweet smile is breathtaking, and he kisses me once more before he lifts me to my feet. “What smells so amazing?”

“Grill’s fired up in the back, c’mon.” Random clutter is strewn throughout the house, and I can’t help but grin at it as he leads me through. His lack of housekeeping is endearing, even to a neat freak like me.

Another sign I’ve got it bad.

Outside, the sun is scorching as we step onto the porch, tiny heat waves distorting the view as they roll off the grill. Steaks and vegetables sear over the charcoal as he picks up the tongs, smacking them together a few times before flipping the meat.

Everything is so easy between us, conversation flowing as the goats bleat in the background. There are moments, though, when his frustration with me becomes clear. Discussions of my work lead to vague half-answers, and when he mentions my made-up cousin, I struggle to recall the lies I’ve told.

The disappointment on his face is covered with a smile, but it doesn’t make it sting any less. Piece by piece, he’s stolen bits of my heart until the whole thing rests in his careful hands. And it’s not fair. It isn’t fair to feed him half-truths and dodge questions.

Isn’t fair for me to give him fragments when he’s handed me everything, unconditionally.

It’s been such a brief time, but neither of us denies what’s happening between us. His beautiful soul reaches for mine, and mine answers in part—two pieces whose jagged edges fit together, and I’m setting us both up for heartbreak. That much is undeniable. Eventually, the threads of my fragile lie will unravel, and the inevitable destruction will rest on my shoulders alone.

How long can I keep this up?

As if reading my mind, Beau’s knee bumps against mine as he chews on his lip. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sounds ominous,” I tease, but my anxiety-ridden heart already drums inside my chest.

“I like you, Az.”

A soft smile spreads across my lips as I reach for his hand. “I like you, too. Surely you realize that?”

“I do… I do,” he says quickly, but hesitates as he fidgets with my fingers. “But I need to know where your head is. I’m over here making plans for the future… plans that include you. And that’s on me, okay? That’s entirely on me, but… Az, I don’t even know how long you’re going to be around. How long will you be living with your cousin? Are you here to stay?”

“I want to be.” My whisper is broken, and his lips pull back into a sad smile.

“But you might go.”

My throat tightens, a painful knot that refuses to yield as I swallow, torn between the desperate need to deny the truth and the heavier need to share it. I’ll never leave you , dances on my tongue but dies behind my lips, and, as it turns out, my non-answer seems to be answer enough.

He releases my hand and sits back in his chair, and I miss his warmth immediately. “Beau,” I whine as I chase after him, scrambling from my seat and climbing into his lap. “Every piece of me wants to stay with you.”

“So stay ,” he whispers, frowning. “Stay with me. Don’t leave.”

Ocean water eyes lock on mine, full of emotion as he watches me. Waiting for me to make the next move. Tentatively, my hands wrap around his neck, pulling him impossibly close until we’re sharing the same air. “I wish you could be inside my head for just a second,” I whisper, and he stares, rapt. “Wish you understood how I see you… that you could comprehend how I feel about you.”

“Is it enough to keep you here?”

My eyes squeeze closed as he releases a ragged breath. There are stories of Cherubs who gave up their wings. Countless examples of those who sacrificed their magic and long existence. Who chose a mortal life filled with love rather than an eternity alone.

But the effects of the arrow still burn in my veins, and commitments of that magnitude can’t be tainted by its influence.

“It’s enough for me to promise you I will never intentionally do anything to hurt you.” I press a kiss on his lips. “And to swear that when the time is right, you’ll have the answers to your questions.”

His harsh swallow and the bob of his throat hold a threat, and I brace myself for him to tell me to go. To say that risking both our already-fragile hearts isn’t worth it.

But he doesn’t.

Because he’s wonderful, and giving, and patient, and incredible, and perfect, he doesn’t ask me to leave. Instead, he just says, “Whatever you’re offering me will always be enough.”

“Beau—” I whine as his lips crash into mine, filled with promises, and he carries me into the house. My legs and arms wrap around his thick body, holding on for dear life. The door smacks shut behind us as he rushes past the living room and kitchen, pushing into his bedroom that I’ve only seen in passing until now.

“You’re mine while I have you,” he whispers, dropping me onto the bed, and I’m surrounded by his woody, spicy scent as he settles over me. Mouth demanding, he kisses me as his beard burns at my skin, scraping in that soft friction I’ve learned to love.

Fingers wrap around the bottom of my shirt as he pulls back and meets my eyes. “May I?”

Sudden insecurity descends in a blanket around me. Everything we’ve done until this point has been with clothes on, and I’ve never been exposed to him like this. I nod slowly, and he lifts my shirt over my head, the cotton brushing against my skin as my shoulders lift from the bed. My hands instinctively go to the soft pudge of my belly, but he scolds me with a sharp, disapproving arch of his brow.

“Stop that,” he mutters, guiding my wrists away as he leans forward, eyes still on mine. His lips graze my sternum in a kiss so gentle I can’t even be sure it touches my skin.

Lower and lower he moves, pressing kisses over every inch of my body until he stops over my stomach, leaving a circle of pecks around my navel. “You’re perfect. Every single part of you.”

Gradually, my muscles relax, and I melt into his touch. My spine arches as he travels lower, those kisses now dotting along the waist of my pants as he reaches to unbutton them. Full of fire, his eyes land on mine again as he shimmies the denim over my hips. When his gaze moves lower, a groan tumbles from his throat.

My black jockstrap peeks out, and he stares as his hips give an involuntary flex. “You’re trying to kill me early,” he mutters as he slides lower, sliding my jeans off my legs until I’m lying here in just my jock. Exposed under the weight of his stare, I watch as his eyes roam my skin.

“This is payback for those slutty pants.” I gesture at his fully clothed body. “Fair’s fair, baby. Show me the goods.”

He grabs the hem of his shirt and tugs it one-handed over his head, and I can’t help my grin at the farmer’s tan that leaves his torso and biceps several shades lighter than his forearms. Dark, coarse hair covers his chest and stomach, forming a dense trail that leads underneath his shorts.

He shoves them to the ground, leaving him standing with a very impressive erection straining against his boxer briefs. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” I mutter, and he glances down at himself, then back at me.

“Are you kidding, Az? You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Heat flushes my cheeks as I look away. “You’re just saying that because…”

“Because why?” he challenges, hovering over me again. “Have I lied to you yet?”

“No,” I whisper, and he nods, dropping until his nose nudges against my cock underneath my jockstrap. A needy whine leaves my throat as his tongue flicks out, dragging over the fabric. Swallowing my nerves, I wiggle until he scoots back. My knees lift, and his gaze falls to where a red-gemmed plug decorates my hole.

“Oh, darlin’,” he mutters, voice so low it’s barely more than a rumble. “What do we have here?”

“Got it for Christmas.” My legs fall further apart as he stares.

“You put that in just for me?” His fingers skim the edges, and my cock flexes in response to the touch. When he pushes on it, my whole body lights up, fireworks dancing in crackling explosions under my skin.

“Do that again,” I beg, and he bites his lip, pushing harder on the plug as it bumps all the best spots inside me. Eyes never leaving mine, he lowers himself, tongue tracing the outside of the gem.

His hand lands on my cock, palm dragging along my length as I buck into his touch. “Beau,” I whimper as his thumb slips underneath the fabric, his callused finger stroking against the underside of my cock. His tongue drags higher, licking along my taint and over my balls.

“Wanna fuck you,” he murmurs, and when my eyes move down his body, his hips are thrusting into the mattress. “Need to be inside you. Please?”

Gripping his biceps, I tug. “Get up here.” He slides up my torso until we’re face to face, our mouths meeting in a rough kiss, lips clashing and teeth knocking because neither of us can slow down enough to find a rhythm. His cock brushes against mine, and my moan passes between us as I arch into him. Electric shock spiderwebs through my body as my hands claw at his back, thrusting mindlessly.

He pulls away and I chase him, digging my fingernails into his muscles as I try to force him back. “Take it out.” He’s all hazy eyes and kiss-swollen lips as his tongue darts out, and my voice is a rasping, husky thing I don’t recognize. “The plug. Remove it so you can get inside me. I need you inside me, baby,” I whimper, my body trembling at the furious need for friction.

His throat bobs in a swallow, and he nods as I spread my legs again. Just as the flare is working its way out, stretching my rim, he moans and pushes it back inside. Again and again, he does it, fucking me with the plug until I’m a whimpering mess.

Finally, he slips it out and I’m empty, so fucking empty, and desperate for him to fill me again. “Fuck,” he groans, his thumb circling my hole. “I tried to read online, but I don’t… I don’t know how to do this. What do I need to do?”

A surge of potent emotion hits me like a straight shot of dopamine to the chest, knowing he cared enough to research. “The plug loosened me enough already. Please, just get inside me.” He stands and pushes his underwear to the ground, his erection bobbing in front of him. Dark and swollen, pre-cum ropes in a clear strand as his fingers wrap around his shaft. A single stroke makes his knees buckle.

“Don’t be a tease,” I whine, and he grins as he snicks open the bottle of lube, slicking up his cock before kneeling between my knees. He grips himself and notches at my entrance, eyes landing on mine as I nod, desperate.

This feels significant.

It feels irreversible, final, as though something vital inside both of us shifts.

Everything rearranges in that moment, until there’s room for nothing but him. Him and me, and us together.

His hips thrust forward, and then I’m full . Filled until it aches… far more stretched than with the plug. My body arches as his mouth falls open, head snapping towards the ceiling as he slides into me.

“Az,” he gasps, broad chest heaving as he sucks in a breath.

My cock fights against the restraint of the jock, throbbing as I leak into the fabric. “More,” I whimper as my legs wrap around him, heels digging into his lower back. “Give me more, Beau, baby, please .”

He’s shaky, limbs trembling as his hips jerk forward, too frantic to be smooth as he sinks deeper. The skin of his groin smacks against my ass as he bottoms out, a helpless sound leaving his lips as he shudders.

The need between us is messy and clumsy, and goddamned earth-shattering, with no room for false pretenses. Fists slamming into the mattress beside my head, he leans to claim my lips in a rough kiss. “I’m fucking crazy about you,” he whispers, and my tears burn hot, little drops of emotion that trickle from the corners of my eyes as we lay there, connected.

He draws back and rocks forward again, my gasp of pleasure erasing the words fumbling on the tip of my tongue. We match each other, move for move—every thrust of his hips is met by my arch off the bed. It’s slow, sensual, intentional , and we share each breath of air as he hovers with his mouth above mine.

The first forceful thrust jars my body, the back of my head sinking into the mattress. A slew of nonsense leaves my lips, my heels digging into his back as I manage a few coherent words.

Yes. Please.

More, more, more.

Soon, Beau is on his knees, holding my ankles as he fucks me faster. He’s a work of art, flexing muscles and corded tendons, neck strained and lips twitching in unspoken bliss, forming muted words that only leave him in exhales.

Everything is tense inside me as I fight my body. The sight of him is so intimate, so demanding, it makes me want to let go of my control. Burst those seams wide open and give in—allow him to tear me into pieces.

My eyes squeeze closed, because it’s all too much. The sound of my name leaving him in a whimper serves as my breaking point, the last crack in my shattered composure, and it all breaks free on a shout.

Wet heat floods my jockstrap as my cock jerks, white bursts of cum seeping through the fabric. “Jesus Christ, look at you. Is that all for me, sweetheart?” Goosebumps lift across my limbs as he pegs me in all the right places, liquid lightning branching through my veins as I quiver. Everything shivers and shakes as he drives into me, my body compressing around him as my mouth sags open, useless.

Fingers swipe through my release, and he snarls like a starving man as he jabs them between his lips, fucking his own mouth. The sight is so terribly filthy that my cock rebounds, fattening again inside the mess of my jockstrap.

Muffled moans ring through the room as he slurps the cum from his hand, and a surprised shout rings out as his hips lock forward. Exquisite agony twists his face as he comes, warmth flooding deep inside me.

He pulls out in a rush, dropping to his stomach between my legs before I can even register the movement. Aftershocks pulse through my body as he closes his lips around my hole and sucks, his needy noises getting louder as he tastes a mouthful of his own release. He worships my ass, licking and sucking, moaning and whining as he cleans every drop of cum.

It’s sloppy and unrefined, driven by nothing more than pure, primal need.

White pearl droplets dot his facial hair as he lifts his head, lips glistening and swollen. He whines my name, hips grinding against the bed as he surrounds my cock with his mouth. More of those desperate, needy noises tumble from his throat as he sucks the cum from my jockstrap.

He devours me.

“Fuck, Beau,” I moan as I thrust into his mouth, my body rallying faster than I thought possible. There’s no technique to the way he takes me, just unrestrained, animalistic hunger as he gags himself, sucking and licking as he draws on the fabric. Finally, he shoves the jock aside and drags his tongue along the skin of my groin, lapping up every trace of my release.

He’s obscene, relentless as his mouth and tongue work my bare skin raw.

Grunting and whimpering as he fucks into the bed, his ass flexes and the mattress shakes with the power of it. It’s too much… it’s all just too much, and my lips fall open in a silent shout. My cock thumps against his tongue as I give him what he wants, the release almost painful as my body is wrung out.

Spit and cum slide down his chin, and he grinds like a desperate thing as he sucks. Sensitive... too fucking sensitive, and I jerk back as my nerves crackle along my skin. His gaze is hungry as it lifts to mine, and he scrambles to his knees, fumbling to find my hole.

Warmth shoots across my skin before he even makes it inside me, thick spurts of cum erupting from his cock as he finds his target and drives forward. Beau's voice cracks as he falls apart, eyes rolled high in his head as he pins me there, hips twitching.

Mouth sagged open and panting, he pulls out of me, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. My body is so spent I can only melt into the mattress as he pushes my legs back and goes to work. Gentler with his sucks and licks, he cleans his release from my overstimulated skin.

By the time he crawls up the bed and lands behind me, my eyes have fluttered closed. His arm curls around my waist and tugs me flush against him.

“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear, but I can only find the energy to hum quietly as sleep drags me under.