He touched his own face where she had just rubbed. "Wow. I need to shave. That hasn't happened before. The scarring prevented it. Do you want me to do that? I don't want to cut you up."
She shook her head. "I love it. Don't you dare do anything about it."
"Really? It doesn't hurt you?"
"In the best possible way." All she knew was that every time he touched her with his light brown whiskers, she got hotter inside. Maybe she was weird. This was her first sexual experience. But she loved the feeling so she was just going to go with it. Unless Samuel objected…
Except he didn't seem to. Instead, he made a sound that was something between a moan and a curse as he pressed his lips even firmer against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the little hairs at the tip of his collar. He shivered like her touch was the greatest experience he'd ever had.
That's because it is.
His voice in her mind felt like a caress on her soul. She closed her eyes as his finger trailed from her chin to the bottom of her neck. "I've wanted to get you naked for a long time."
Samuel pulled at her shirt until he'd tugged it over her head. She suddenly wished she'd been wearing a prettier bra. It was plain, cotton, white, and sturdy. The clasp was in front and with unsteady fingers she undid it, allowing her breasts to spill free.
"They're more than a handful." Her cheeks heated up. This was never going to work if she didn't get over her need to apologize for the parts of her body she'd always hated.
"They're perfect, Eden." He grinned. "You have curves. Delicious curves." His mouth came down onto her nipple, the rough feel of his chin stubble scraping gently along the sensitive skin of her right breast. She hissed and grabbed the bed for support as his mouth tweaked the rosy bud. Yes, she wanted this. Heat pooled inside of her.
Samuel sat up abruptly, the bed jerking beneath him as he pulled his shirt over his head. "I want your hands on me too."
Eden desired that just as much and as his mouth came down to caress her other nipple, she dug her hands into Samuel's smooth back. Her fingers traced his lean, strong muscles.
Without being asked, she pushed inside of his mind. If he could be in hers then she wanted to be inside his as well. She gasped as she was overwhelmed with the sensations Samuel held inside of him. Yes, he wanted her like she wanted him. Eden could feel his love for her radiating from deep inside of him until it filled her up completely. But he didn't just love her, he wanted her too.
To Samuel, she really did look physically perfect. All of the things she had always felt self-conscious about faded away. Her breasts weren't huge and horrible, they were round and seductive. He loved the way her ass fit in her pants. The slight curve of her thighs and stomach were a huge turn on for him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Like what you see in there?"
"Outsider privilege, I suppose." She laughed before kissing him again. "Not every girl really gets to know what her boyfriend thinks of her body."
"I'm so much more than your boyfriend." His heated gaze traveled down to her bellybutton. "I'm your soul mate and I want your pants off. Now."
Happy to obey his command, she yanked her pants down her legs, revealing the matching cotton panties to her sensible white bra. They weren't her prettiest underwear set. She had never had any need for sexy lingerie but these were really not her nicest pair.
"I like them." She laughed as she felt the tickle in her mind that told her he still connected with her there. "And we left all your clothes in Maine. I wasn't expecting a whole get-up on you. Besides, I want to buy you lingerie."
"You do?"
He nodded. "Yep. I want to pick them out and then see you in them."
Eden sat up so she could undo the button on his black pants. She released it and then pulled down the zipper. He helped her to get them off him, which was a good thing because her entire attention shifted to his large, erect cock thrusting forward in his briefs.
Like a woman possessed, she reached forward to touch the soft fabric over the head of his penis where it pushed outward.
"Shit." He groaned as his head fell backward. "That feels so good."
"Might feel even better if we got your briefs off."
He opened his eyes, amusement sparkling from their gray depths. "Think I might like to play for a while."
"Play?" What did that even mean?
"I've had a lot of time to think about you, Eden. A lot of time to dream of this even as I never thought it could actually come to pass. I'm going to make some of my fantasies of these moments come true."
With one finger, he slid her undies off until they slipped down her legs. "You have the prettiest red curls."
"Am I wrong or do some men prefer a woman to be bare down there?" She'd always wanted to ask someone that. Admitting her lack of knowledge to others would be humiliating but questioning Samuel seemed the most natural thing in the world.
"I am not one of those men. I like you the way you are." His hands traveled up her thighs sending quivers of pleasure through her body. Samuel's voice had lowered an octave and it made her mouth go dry in anticipation.
When he inserted one finger inside of her, she gasped. No one had ever touched her there and her muscles clenched around him, desperate for more. She needed something, knew other people craved this, but for the life of her she couldn't imagine what was going to happen next.
"You like that?" His smile could only be called feral. Samuel knew what he did to her and he loved every second. She nodded her assent, afraid that words would fail her.
"I love touching you there, sweetheart. I love how it feels to be able to do this."
She reached forward, propelled by his words to want to stroke him as well but he backed up out of her reach. "Not yet."
"I want to touch you too." She breathed her words knowing that as soon as their mouths met again they would be beyond speaking from the heat they generated between them.
"I want you too. So much. But if you do that, I have a feeling this will be over before we've started."
Her cheeks heated at his words. It was nice to know she had that kind of effect on him since he certainly did on her.
Samuel gently pushed her legs farther apart as he scrunched down the bed. Before she realized what happened, his mouth was on her. She gasped and closed her eyes as his lips licked and sucked on her clit. Her body shook as she felt herself getting wetter and wetter.
Heat pooled between her legs and Samuel seemed to love it. He moaned his desire, which sent shivers throughout her body and her soul. Spread open like this should have been embarrassing but it wasn't. Eden lost herself fully in the moment as her orgasm ripped through her body.
Pleasure she'd never known was possible filled her from the inside pushing outward until she screamed her release. Even after, her body shook but Eden held no control over the shivers overtaking her body.
Samuel pulled her into his arms holding her against his heart. She could hear it beating fast and she could feel his erection pressed up against her stomach. When she could speak, she opened her eyes to find his gray gaze upon her.
"Can I touch you now?"
He laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest. "You have a one track mind on this subject."
"Do you object?"
With a shake of his head, he guided her hand down until she could wrap it around his cock. She stroked it gently.
"Harder." He whispered against her ear. She looked up to find he'd closed his eyes. Eden grinned. This was a feeling of power. Samuel was so tough he could bring down a demon, and yet he let her have her way with him with complete trust. It was a right she didn't intend to abuse.
Following his direction, she stroked him harder, letting her hand move roughly over his thick, hard head. His neck jerked backward. "That's it."
Eden lost herself to the motion, feeling herself getting wetter the more turned on Samuel became. How could she have thought she could ever live without this? How had she managed it so long?
&nbs
p; Her mouth watered and she knew what she wanted. Pushing him onto his back, she moved before he had the chance to comment on her decision. No way was he denying her now.
She wanted him. With a knowledge born of instinct and not experience, she placed her mouth on his hard cock, moaning as the taste of Samuel filled her mouth.
"God, Eden." Samuel's proclamation sounded more like a curse as he stroked the back of her neck.
A dab of pre-cum released from Samuel's cock and she licked it up, tasting the salty essence of Samuel in her mouth before he yanked her up and off him. "I love that. You can't imagine how much. But I want to come inside of you. If you keep doing that, I'm not going to get there."
Eden grinned. She'd never felt sexy, never felt wanton but now, at this moment, it was like a new awakening with Samuel. This was a new version of herself and she loved it.
"You have no idea how hot you look right now."
Samuel gave her no time to respond as he flipped her over so that he lay on top of her. His mouth came down on hers, hard. Samuel wanted to consume her. She could feel it in every movement of his body against hers. And—wow—she wanted him that much too.
"Spread your legs for me, baby." His voice was rough with passion. Eden did as he instructed.
He moved himself until he was positioned right outside her core. With one hand, he stroked her between them. "You're still so wet."
She nodded. Had he expected her not to be? In his arms like this, she might be hot and dripping forever.
In one move, he drove himself inside of her. She clenched at the invasion. Nothing so large had ever been inside of her before.
"Ssshh." He quieted her and she wanted to loosen her muscles. But it was hard. "Try to relax, when you can. You're so tight, baby."
"Is that a good thing?"
He nodded, his eyes barely slits. "Yes. A very good thing."
He was such a beautiful man and having him above her, in this experience—an event she'd never thought could occur—made her feel whole inside. As she thought of him, of the future they would have together, her muscles did as she wanted them to, opening slowly to accommodate him inside her core.
With a sigh, she stretched and he slipped himself deeper inside of her. His whisper caressed her body. "This is heaven for me."
"For me, as well."
And it really was. Samuel moved inside of her pushing slightly forward before pulling out. She panted her pleasure as her nerve endings came alive with his movements.
"I want this to be good for you. I'm trying to go slow and make this okay." She could see the strain on Samuel's face. "You just feel so good and I think I might lose my mind."
"I've already lost mine." But she knew what to do. Without another thought, she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. "Don't hold back on me, Samuel. I want you. All of you."
With a growl, he pushed forward, starting a rhythm that had Eden's whole body reeling with pleasure. In and out, he leaned over her, his body giving hers so much intensity she wasn't sure she could survive the overwhelming love that flowed from him to her.
Eden lost track of time. There was only Samuel and the feelings their lovemaking presented to her. Tears sprung from her eyes and traveled down her cheeks. She didn't care. In her life, she'd never been so completely opened up to another person, so totally dependent on them for her own happiness and now this act between them made her feel less alone than she'd ever been.
If she cried, it was from absolute and complete happiness.
A pressure she'd never dreamed of started inside of her and all she knew was that she needed release from it. Her back arched on the bed. She wanted more of Samuel. Whatever was going to happen, he could give it to her. She knew it.
When she thought she couldn't handle another second of it, the world around her exploded in an array of colors and sounds. Maybe she lost consciousness. Maybe she was transported to another dimension. She had no idea. Until she heard Samuel's own call of completion, she wasn't sure she existed anymore at all.
* * * *
Eden came back down to life in stages. First, she saw light through her lids. She must have closed them but couldn't remember. Then she heard a heartbeat. It wasn't her own—that much she felt clear about.
Samuel.
She opened her eyes to find herself pressed up against his chest, her arm positioned across him. How had that happened? She blinked, realizing she really didn't know how she'd ended up snuggling against him. That had been mind-blowing sex and she was no longer a virgin. She'd found her soul mate and they'd all but destroyed a demon. Life didn't get any better than this.
"Hi." Samuel stroked her hair. "You've been asleep for a couple of hours."
"Hours?" She choked on the word. Really? How had that happened? "Guess you wore me out."
He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "You're perfection. You know that, don't you?"
"With you, I am."
The door flew open with a loud bang that sounded like a bomb going off. Samuel pulled the sheets up over her so she was covered better. Marina stood in the doorway, her eyes wild.
"Marina?"
The other woman darted around the room. "Something is in here with you."
"What?" Samuel jumped off the bed, half-stumbling half-dressing in the process. "What's in here?"
"He's here." Marina stormed farther in and Leonardo rushed in behind her. "I can feel his energy."
Leonardo cursed. "He's just energy now. It makes sense you'd feel him." Leonardo stared down at his arms. "I have goosebumps. I can feel him too. Not as intensely as you but, yes, something is off."
Eden swore. She was the one with the prophecies. Why couldn't she feel him? She grabbed her T-shirt from the ground, keeping the sheet up against her chest, and maneuvered herself until she was dressed enough to search for her pants.
"Why is he hanging out in here anyway?" If she sounded frantic, it was simply because of the thought of the demon acting like a Peeping Tom while she and Samuel had sex or while she slept. All of it was too disturbing to really contemplate.
"Really? You didn't want me watching you?" The words rushed over her like a cold breeze she would never get warmer from.
"Ah." Eden darted around.
Samuel grabbed her arms. "What is it?"
"Did you hear him?"
Samuel shook his head. "Who?"
"He's talking to you?" Leonardo's voice sounded angry, hard. "Leave her alone. You talk to me, demon."
The demon didn't seem to care what Leonardo said. He continued to speak, "I liked watching you. I liked watching you so much that I think that is what I'll take from you, Eden. You guys took my body; I'm going to take your sight."
Pain struck her eyes like she'd been stabbed. Her world turned red before it turned black. She screamed because there was nothing else to do. He'd blinded her.
Chapter Seventeen
Samuel didn't know what was happening. One second he'd been curled up in bed enjoying hours of post-coital bliss and the next Eden's eyes had started bleeding as she screamed in agony.
He threw her to the floor, covering her body with his own. Having no idea what was going on, he knew only that he needed to protect her more than anything in the world. Marina shouted and pointed at the ceiling but Samuel was completely unconcerned with what she said.
His heart pounding hard in his chest, he touched her face, wiping her blood away with his hand. Her agony tore at him as if it was his own. He wished it were his own.
"Tell me what's happening to you, Eden." He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him. All the anger and frustration at having no idea how to protect the woman he loved surged inside of him. "Tell me so I can stop it."
"Can't see." She screamed, her head flailing back and forth. The red blood that had consumed her eye sockets drained down the sides of her face, leaving crimson trails of sorrow on her face.
But that wasn't what concerned Samuel. No, what made him want to roar was that the color of Eden's eyes had
completely altered. Gone were her blue-green depths and in their place were eyes devoid of all color. They almost looked translucent, and as they stared up at his face, he knew without being told that if they remained as they were they would never see anything again.
Calling over his shoulder, he gritted his teeth as he yelled at Leonardo. "Get Jason here. Now."
"He's on his way already. Kal and I managed to communicate telepathically and he relayed to Jason."
Samuel wasn't interested in the ins and outs of what happened. He just wanted Jason there immediately. He turned his attention back to Eden.
"Tell me what it feels like, baby. Tell me what he did to you."
He'd endured nearly dying in a fire and he would do it again a thousand times over rather than have this happen to her.
"I can't. It hurts, Samuel." She gasped. "It feels like he's taken something from me—my soul."
"Not that. Never that."
"I can see him." Marina screeched pointing at the ceiling. "Can you see him, Leonardo?"
"No."
"Marina." Eden jerked upright in his arms. "He is coming for you. Left." Although she couldn't see, Eden pointed across the room. Marina dove to the floor as she'd been instructed, narrowly missing being struck by a ring of fire. "Leonardo, there."
The other man did as he was told and missed an impact as well.
"That's right. You took my sight but I can still see you in my mind." Eden called out behind him. Samuel placed her on the floor and turned around. He couldn't see the demon—not even an inkling of him—but he knew Eden knew where he was.
"You fucker." This was impossible. How was he supposed to fight something that was not even there? "You want someone, you come after me. Not her."
Eden groaned. "He says it's so much more fun tormenting you through me."
"Hold on." A voice he didn't recognize filled the room. Samuel whirled around ready to battle whoever the intruder turned out to be. If he couldn't have Sebastian, he'd gladly take one of his cronies.