Wrath of the Fallen by Eve Archer

Chapter Five

Ella

The creak of the door woke me, and I sat up. The fire in the hearth had burned low, and the flicker of the flames sent shadows bouncing across the stone walls and ceiling but provided little light. Dominick’s broad figure was silhouetted in the dim firelight as he closed the door and peered across the room at the massive bed.

“Should I be concerned that there’s someone sleeping with you?”

I glanced down and put a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh and a yelp of surprise. I’d forgotten that Sara and I had drifted off while talking, but there she was, curled up next to me still wearing her evening gown.

“We fell asleep talking,” I whispered as he walked over.

He nodded. “Should I carry her back to her own room?”

I shook Sara’s shoulder gently. “Definitely not. If she wakes up while you’re carrying her, I can’t guarantee she won’t be startled and smack you.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” he muttered under his breath.

I ignored his comment and the fact that Dominick and Sara seemed to enjoy provoking each other. “Sara.” I jostled her shoulder harder. “It’s time to wake up and go back to your own room.”

She jerked awake and sat bolt upright, swiveling her head around quickly to take in me and Dom. “Where am I?”

“My room,” I said, then corrected myself. “Well, mine and Dom’s.”

“Crap.” She rubbed her head. “How late is it?”

I looked to Dom for the answer, but he shrugged. “Late.”

Sara swung her legs over the side of the bed. “At least we can sleep in, right? I’ll bet this is a ‘sleep until noon’ crowd.”

“After most parties, yes,” Dominick said. “Tomorrow, no. I need to take Ella someplace safe, so we’ll be departing at first light. If you wish to say your goodbyes, you should do it now.”

“Goodbyes?” Sara gaped at him. “Why would we say goodbye if I’m coming with her?”

Dominick let out a sigh. “Rami has agreed to fly you back to New York. I’m sure you have a job and life to which you need to return.”

Sara’s momentary grogginess was gone, and she was alert and on edge. “You’re taking Ella someplace safe because she’s in danger, right?”

“Yes,” Dominick admitted with obvious reluctance.

“Then if my best friend is in danger, I’m staying.” She looped her arm through mine. “No offense, but I don’t have total confidence in your ability to watch her. She did manage to get kidnapped under your protection.”

Dom’s mouth fell open. “You think you can protect her better than the Fallen? We are immortal warrior angels.”

Sara twitched one shoulder. “That doesn’t make you infallible. Besides, Ella needs a girlfriend around. I’m sure you have your…” she hesitated, eyeing him up and down, “benefits, but you’re not her best friend.”

Dominick’s gaze slid from her to me, and he finally rolled his eyes. “Fine, but there is no contact allowed with anyone in the outside world. No phone calls or emails that might reveal our location.”

“Got it.” Sara narrowed her eyes at him. “This must be some serious danger.”

Dominick shifted from one foot to the other, clearly not comfortable talking about it. “I’m serious about protecting your best friend.” He returned her pointed glare. “From anyone.”

Sara held his gaze for a moment before sliding off the bed and throwing her hands up. “You’re a little scary and intense, but as long as you make my friend happy and keep her from being snatched up by an uptight archangel, I can dig it.”

Dominick’s eyebrow quirked. “I’m glad you can ‘dig it.’”

Sara pulled me into a hug then released me just as quickly. “See you in the morning, girlie.” She scooped her discarded heels up with two fingers and padded barefoot to the door. “By the way, where are we flying to at the crack of dawn?”

“That will be a surprise.”

Sara made a face. “I hate surprises.” Then she tugged open the door and slipped into the corridor.

When the door closed behind her with a heavy thud, I glanced up at Dominick. I hadn’t seen him since he’d given me a brisk peck on the forehead and sent me and Sara up to our rooms, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. We hadn’t spoken about what had happened, and everything that Gabriel had revealed about me. I had no idea what he really felt about having a girlfriend who was fathered by an archangel he clearly despised.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, studying his worried expression.

He bent over and cupped my face in one hand, dragging his thumb along my cheek. “It will be, as soon as I can make sure the archangels can’t find you again.”

“You don’t think they’ll come back, do you? I made it pretty clear that I have no intention of going with Gabe.”

Dominick flinched at the name of my godfather—correction, my father.

I drew in a deep breath. “Does it freak you out that I’m a demi-angel?”

His gaze locked on mine. “Of course not. That changes nothing.”

“What about my father being the archangel Gabriel, who’s partly responsible for you and the rest of the Fallen being cast from heaven and relegated to earth?”

He scowled. “That is not your fault. You thought he was your godfather.”

“But it doesn’t change who I am.” My voice wavered. “Can you live with me being the daughter of your enemy?”

His eyes flashed, the dark irises almost scarlet in the reflection of the firelight. “I would never allow him to change my feelings about you or damage what we have. I don’t care who fathered you. You’re still mine. Nothing else matters.”

I sagged at his words, relief flooding me. I hadn’t even known how nervous I’d been that Gabriel’s revelation had altered Dominick’s feelings or scared him off. After all, defying an archangel who held your fate in his hands was a big deal.

Dominick feathered his lips across mine, the heat from his flesh searing mine instantly and making me want more. I leaned into him, allowing a moan to escape my lips. I needed to feel his body against mine—moving hard and fast inside me. I needed to feel that nothing had changed.

“Dom,” I whispered urgently when I tore my mouth from his.

He straightened and shrugged off his tuxedo jacket, tossing it over a nearby chair, then swiftly took off the rest of his clothes until he stood before me in nothing. His thick cock stood out rigid from his body, and I wrapped my hand around it, savoring the velvety softness of his skin.

He groaned and rolled his head back as I ran my fingers up his shaft and circled the broad crown. When he dropped his head, I locked eyes with him and lowered my mouth, taking him between my lips and swirling my tongue around his cock.

Dominick tangled his fingers in my hair as I started to take him deeper into my throat. I peered up as I sucked him, meeting his dark eyes that burned molten in the shadowy light dancing across his face. Even though he held my head to him, I felt a surge of power that I was the one making him groan.

I’d never particularly relished performing this act before, but taking Dominick in my mouth was a rush. Knowing how powerful and feared he was—and that I was the one who now controlled his pleasure—made heat skitter across my skin and desire pulse between my legs. I circled my hand around the base of his cock and squeezed lightly as I dragged my lips up to his crown.

“Ella,” he gasped, before jerking me up by my elbows and hoisting me so that my legs were around his waist. Before I could complain that he hadn’t let me finish, he’d shoved my dress up and to the side and impaled me on his cock.

All the air left me, along with my ability to think. Dominick hissed in a breath as he buried himself to the hilt, his hands sliding up my back until they gripped my shoulders, forcing me down harder. I arched my back and dropped my head back, a desperate cry escaping my lips.

This was what I’d wanted. It was what I’d needed—his body melded with mine as a sinful heat stormed through me, igniting an inferno of pleasure. I didn’t wait for Dominick to move before rocking my hips into him, my body demanding more.

With a snarl, he met my thrusts with his own. My heart slammed against my ribs as he drove deep, my fingers digging into the tightly coiled muscles of his slick shoulders as he grabbed my ass and worked me until my breaths were jagged. His skin burned beneath my touch, the flesh branding me as I held on, my gasps a blend of pleasure and delectable pain.

His expression was fierce as he fucked me mercilessly, driving me up and down on his thick shaft, his dominant gaze searing my soul. When he pulled my lips to his, claiming my mouth just as forcefully as he’d possessed my body, I moaned at the delicious heat of his tongue stroking mine. Dominick didn’t slow his savage pace, even when I let out a keening cry as my body contracted around him, sensations tearing through me like wildfire.

He pistoned into me faster as scorching pleasure wracked my body, finally thrusting up one last time and holding me to him as he bowed his back and released an infernal roar. When he fell forward, lowering me to the bed and hovering over me, his forehead touched mine and our warm breath mingled.

“Heaven can’t have anything better than that,” I whispered.

Dominick grunted as he collapsed beside me, circling his arms around my waist and holding me to him, kissing the damp nape of my neck and not replying.