Page 13 of The Bell’s Toll (Wanderlust Emporium Presents, Season One)

chapter eight

Nasiah

S lowly, the fingers of slumber release me. Right away, I notice my head is pounding. That’s what happens when you spend most of your night crying.

The memory of what Raziel did to me plays back in my mind.

His face buried between my legs bringing orgasm after orgasm from me.

With the memory come the fluttering in my belly and the hardening of my nipples.

My body has never felt that type of pleasure before.

Even when Jamieson does go down on me on the few occasions he tries to get me to cum, it never feels like that.

It’s like my body was in a deep coma and only woke up the moment Raziel came into my life. Immediately after the high of my orgasm wore off, the guilt and shame began to eat at me. How could I cheat on Jamieson like that? And with a monster that’s holding me hostage at that.

“A monster that ate your pussy like it was the last meal he would ever have.” The unbridled thought runs across my mind against my will.

Groaning, I roll over onto my side. The soft cushion under me helps cradle my body. Wait, soft cushion? I fell asleep on the floor. Sitting up and opening my eyes, the brightness of the room causes me to blink a few times. However, the moment my eyes adjust, a gasp leaves my mouth.

Surrounding me on all four walls, from floor to ceiling, are bookshelves filled to the brim. There is even a rolling ladder that leans against the shelves to help me reach the top. Did I die and wake in a Disney princess movie?

On the left wall is a window seat filled with soft pillows with a view of the city.

In the middle of the room, there are three different types of chairs.

There’s a large fluffy armchair that looks as if it could fit two people.

An egg-shaped chair that rocks, and the chaise lounge on which I was just lying.

This room is a reader's dream. And I just happen to be a reader. I rush over to the shelves and pull out the first book that I find.

“Oh shit?” I say, scanning the pages. It’s the newest release by my favorite author.

This book was on my wish list. I replaced the book and scanned a few more titles.

They are all books I’d love. The shelves are filled with romance, thrillers, paranormal, sci-fi.

Even some classics I love are here. Whoever created this library did so with me in mind.

I sniff the pages of Sir Author Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes collection.

“Do you like it?”

His voice startles me. I drop the book and spin around to stare at Raziel. Today, he’s in a black T-shirt with a pair of dark jeans. His feet are bare, and his hands are stuffed in his front pockets.

My heart races at the sight of him, and the flutter in my stomach intensifies. Memories of his tongue buried between my thighs have me averting my gaze.

“It’s nice.” My voice sounds different; it’s heady and filled with desire.

When I look back at Raziel, he is no longer standing in the doorway like he was. Now he’s standing in front of me. His scent makes my mouth water. He smells like expensive cologne. His dark brown eyes stare back at me with such intensity I take a step back.

I can’t seem to catch my breath when he is near me. My nipples are so hard, I could probably cut glass with them. As if he read my mind, his gaze drops to my heavy tits before coming back to me. A smirk fills his face.

Raziel bends down and picks up the book I dropped. When he stands up, he takes back the space I placed between us and holds the book out toward me. He’s entirely too close just to hand me a book.

Taking the book from him, I swallow. “Thanks.” Turning to the side, I place the book back on the shelf.

“If there is anything you want in here, let me know. I will get it for you,” his deep voice says right near my ear.

I turn to face him. “Is this supposed to make up for the fact that you’re holding me hostage?”

He stares back at me. I expect him to get angry, like he’s been doing. However, his face remains the same. Maybe it’s because although I want to leave, my voice lacks the anger from before.

Finally, after a long moment he speaks. “You are not a prisoner—”

I scoff, folding my arms across my chest. “Just because you put a wheel in my hamster cage doesn’t mean I’m not still a captive.”

He smirks. “Until I can trust you not to run from me, you will stay locked away.”

“I have to go back to work, Raziel.”

He waves me away as he turns and walks over to the chaise lounge. “You aren’t expected back at work for ten more days. They still think you’re on your honeymoon.”

How the hell does he know that?

“I’d hoped you’d come to accept this situation by the time you’re supposed to go back. But it’s up to you, Nasiah.”

He sits down on the lounge chair. Spreading his arms on the back of it, his legs gap open wide. The print on his thigh draws my attention. I quickly turn away from that demon dick. I want nothing to do with it.

His chuckle has me turning back to him.

“Let me ask you something,” I say, walking over to the sitting area and dropping down in the huge fluffy chair. “How do you see this playing out? What was your goal when you took me from my wedding?”

His eyes flash black when I mention my wedding. They quickly turn back to normal.

“I figured you’d be angry for a day or two. Then we’d fuck, and you’d be fine.”

He says it with so much conviction, I think he truly believed it would be that easy. I toss my head back and laugh.

“You can’t be serious?”

He shrugs. “I have a very convincing cock.”

Immediately my gaze drops to the print. My mouth waters, and I clench my thighs.

“I rebuke you, Satan.” I think against this desire that’s pressing on me to climb in his lap and ride him.

Clearing my throat, I refocus. “Convincing or not, you have to at least see where I’m coming from. I had planned my life to spend it with someone I know. Someone I took the time to fall in love with. Now you’re telling me I have to toss those plans aside and live out my life with a stranger?”

He shrugs. “Yes.”

Tossing my hands up, I roll my eyes. “Come on, Raziel. You don’t even know me.”

He leans forward. “I don’t need to know you. I know your soul.”

His reply has my next words dying on my tongue.

“You want me to know your favorite color and your favorite food,” he says, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “That’s all superficial. That shit changes with your mood. What I know is your soul, your heart’s desire. I know when you are truly happy, I can feel it in my chest.”

He places a hand to the area with a frown. “I know when you’re angry, sad, and when your body hums with arousal. I know what it feels like when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed. You are a part of me. I don’t need to know your favorite color, I just need to know what makes you happy.”

I’ve never been left speechless before. I’m sure Jamieson knows my favorite color. He could tell you my favorite flower and food, but not even he could tell you how I was feeling. Hell, he hardly ever asked.

“How is that possible?” I ask.

He leans back, taking his original position.

“That day your mother summoned me, she asked me to save you. I knew her intentions were selfish, but when I stood over your basinet…” he pauses in his story.

“You turned to look at me and, for the first time, I saw something I haven’t seen in a long time. ”

Swallowing, I ask. “What did you see?”

His dark brown eyes stare back at me. “Home,” he simply says.

I wanted him to expand on that, but I was too nervous to ask.

“We have a mate-bond. To save your life, I connected my life to yours. It didn’t matter who you married, he would’ve never made you truly happy because you’ve belonged to me since you were four days old.”

I sit back in my seat, toying with this information. A lot of things about my life are starting to make sense. The fact that I never quite felt connected to any of my boyfriends. Even my lack of interest in sex. It all stemmed from this man sitting across from me.

“If I belonged to you for all that time, why wait? Why not claim me sooner?”

He rubs his chin. “I’ve lived a very long time. Longer than you can imagine. I needed you to experience life a little more.”

I guess I can respect that. Thankfully he wasn’t one of those weird creeps that would have tried to claim me when I was sixteen or some shit.

“So, I’m supposed to just believe that we have a connection and we’re meant to be together?”

He shrugs. “I can’t make you believe anything. But I know you feel this.” He waves a hand between the two of us. “Under the anger, and the loyalty you have for that bitch-ass ex, you feel our connection. “

This time I’m not so quick to dispute his claims. I think back on my life, hell, at my wedding. That feeling of doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing never left me. Now I know why.

“Look,” he goes on to say. “This isn’t a punishment. I’m not your enemy. Yes, this is a fucked-up situation, but I’m not here to hurt you.”

I look down at my hands twisting in the hem of my shirt. “I want to go back to work when my vacation is up. I can’t live like this, Raziel. I’d go crazy.”

The room is silent. I look up from my shirt to find his gaze on me.

“Okay,” he says. He stands after that. “I have to go into work. You have free rein of the house. There are still guards outside the door. Don’t make me regret this, Nasiah.” He turns and heads to the door.

“Can I please get a cellphone to call my parents?”

He stops, turning to face me, a smirk lifts his lips. “Baby steps, Beauty. Baby steps.” He turns and walks out of the library, leaving me alone.

Today was the first time he and I had a real conversation. I still wasn’t convinced of all that mate stuff he was talking about, but for the first time since he showed up, I didn’t feel this pressing need to get away from him. Plus, he bought me a fucking Disney Princess library.

“Don’t fall for it. A room dedicated to your favorite hobby and the freedom to move around his house do not make him a good guy,” my inner voice shouts at me.

She’s right, but as I look around at my library, I can’t help but think this damn sure doesn’t make him a bad person.