Saving Grace

  "I'm not don e, Grace," Shane's voice boomed through the speaker's. "Look at me. Really look at me, Grace."

  I turned my body to face the stage with my next shot in my hand. Lea and Conner were beside me instantly.

  Shane's eyes caught and held mine, "I've waited for what feels like two thousand years to tell you how much I love you and to touch your lips again."

  The ground seemed to rock beneath my feet and Lea grabbed me to keep me steady. "Listen to hi m, Gray, listen to him," she whispered as tears streamed down her face.

  Shane shifted his guitar in front of his body and a hauntingly ancient ballad unfolded from its strings. Its soft melody tightened my windpipe and I was gasping for air. Shane's expression was so breathtakingly beautiful, tears spilled instantly from my eyes.

  Then he sang. Where the notes and melody fell like feathers along my skin, his words tore at the core of my soul and set my world on fire.

  I didn't know I was lost

  Until you found me

  I never knew what love was

  Until you touched my hand

  I lost myself long ago

  In between your lips

  And now here you are

  You steal my breath away

  Until you I never really knew heaven

  Cause until you it was only ever hell

  I didn't know I was so far gone

  Until you brought me home

  I promise you, girl

  I know you're shattered

  I'll pick up your pieces

  And make you whole again

  Cause until you girl

  I've been shattered too

  Since my very first kiss

  It's only been you

  When the song ended and the last note of his beautiful voice echoed in my heart, he jumped off the stage and ran to me.

  My body violently shook with tremors and I sobbed. Please don't be Gabriel, Shane. Please don't be Gabriel, Shane.

  Shane grabbed my face in his hands crushing me against the bar. Both his hands cupped my face, his thumbs wiping away my tears softly. He pressed his lips gently over mine.

  "Please don't be Gabriel, Shane." I squeezed my eyes tight and held onto his arms like they were the only things holding me on this earth.

  "No, n o, baby. Grace, it's me," he murmured. Tears fell from his eyes. "A feather, Selah. I gave you a feather. That was my gift to you. You asked me when I took you from Gabriel. A feather from an angel's wing."

  Whimpering, I threw my arms around his neck and slammed his lips against mine, tasting the salt of our tears. "I love you. I love you. I love you," I sobbed into his mouth.

  Lacing his strong fingers through the strands of my hair, he pulled back my face from his and fixed his eyes on mine. The corners of his lips twisted up and that famous sexy smile of his sent pools of heat right to my center. "Say that agai n, Grace," he begged, nipping my lips.

  "I love you, Shane Maxton. Now take me home so I can properly show you how damn much."

  The audience chanted for us to kiss again. And we did. Kissing and walking all the way out the front door.

  I don't remember the walk back to the apartment. Shane could have sprouted wings and flew me home for all I knew. I do know Lea and Conner were there, because I remember Lea crying big happy tears next to me, maybe he flew us all home. Like I said, no clue. But who cares really? The only important thing, the only clear thing, was that I stood in front of Shane in my bedroom. We stared at each other, long seconds of anticipation, of pure raw heat for one another, of pure true untouched love that coiled tightly in the air between us. It hummed and danced between us like it was alive, fiercely alive.

  The small lamp on my nightstand cast a warm glow across the room and I noticed then that he had taken one-step closer to me, slowly closing the distance. I wanted to know everything that happened, how, when why? His chest was rising and falling faster, he raked one hand through his gorgeous hair, and all my questions flew out the window. I was completely and forever his and it was so real and thick that it completely suc ked all the air out of my lungs. It was so electric and dense that everything fe lt pure and alive. Me. Him. Air. The bed. Everything. Every single cell that was ever created buzzing between us, sucking us in.

  Shane's hands touched my face, touching me like he d id n't believe I was real. And I d id n't feel real, I felt like a character in some divine ethereal fairytale and there's my prince, my soul mate to save me; n o, we save each other.

  "Shane," I sighed.

  "Grace," he groaned into my mouth as he slowly swept his warm lips over mine. " Yo u, Grace, you're my heaven." There was such a husky tone in his voice that I trembled.

  I grasped at his waist, bunching the material of his shirt in my hands and squeezed tight. I nipped at his lips and opened my mouth over his. The growl that rumbled from the back of his throat made my body flame with heat. I slid my hands under his shirt and up his smooth hard chest.

  "Gray, I promise I'll be as gentle I can," he whispered skimming his lips along my jaw to my ear. His hands, his body shuddered against mine.

  Pulling my lips from his, I yanked his shirt off, threw it on the floor, and looked deep into his eyes. "Please don't. Don't hold back, Shane. I've waited too damn long; I need every ounce of you right now."

  My body slammed against the door. "Thank God, because I have no fucking desire whatsoever to hold back on you," he breathed heavily. And his tongue slipped deep between my lips and he completely devoured me.

  Shane lifted my arms and pulled my shirt off, letting it fall, and crashed his lips back against mine pressing my back hard against the cool wood of the door. He ran his fingertips along my skin until he reached the lace cups of my bra and wrenched them down.

  He spun me around, pressing the front of my body against the door and unhooked my bra, tearing it from my arms. Slowly his traced his hands over the skin of my shoulders and crushed his body against mine, burying his face in my hair. Wrapping the long dark strands of my hair around his hand, he tugged my hair to one side and delicately smoothed his tongue and lips along my tingling flesh.

  I whimpered when his warm wet lips kissed my neck and his hardness pressed into my bottom. Grinding my ass back at him he moaned and turned me back to face him.

  Sliding his hands to cup my breasts, he sucked his breath in, brought his head down and took one nipple into his mouth. Holy crap! My knees, there are butterflies in my knees! I let my head fall back hard against the door and moaned. With each tug and lick with his mouth, I arched my body into his and he held me down, restraining me with his tight hard muscles. "Your skin's like sugar," he whispered.

  I ripped at the button of my jeans and pulled down the zipper, I needed more. I tore his button out next and his pants dropped heavily to my feet. Mine hadn't drop so easily, so he skimmed his hands against the material and guided it all the way down my legs trailing kisses down as his head lowered with them. "So beautifu l, Grace."

  I could hear myself breathing heavily as I leaned hard against the door, his lips kissing, his tongue licking small circles along my inner thighs. OhmyGodohmyGod. This was, it was...OH MY GOD!

  Shane lifted the back of my right knee and slowly ran his mouth over my skin and raised it over his shoulder. I tangled my hands through his hair as he ran his fingers under the front lace of my panties and brushed over me slowly. "You feel like heaven," he said. "God, Grac e, I want to slide my tongue over every inch of your skin. I can't help myself when I'm this fucking close to you."

  He lifted his head and our eyes locked. Biting down on his li p, he stared at me through those long dark lashes as he slipped his fingers inside me. "So wet," he murmured. Oh God. I should have done this with him the first damn night I saw him.

  He tore the lace right from my body and his mouth was on me. "Oh," I gasped as I rocked against him. His fingers pumped slowly in and out of me as his tongue licked in circles. His skillful hands along and deep beneath my skin were absolutely exquisite.

/>   My knees started to shake and it felt so damn good I thought I would cry. Okay, so like two tears fell, but they were beautiful happy breathless tears.

  "Please, Shane," I whimpered and hauled him up by his hair. His face leveled to mine, he was panting.

  He stood up and gazed down at me, bright heavenly blue eyes locked on mine. Gently, he cupped my face in his hands, "You have had my heart with you for thousands of years, and I have been so empty until now."

  "I'm completely your s, Shane, forever," I whispered. We stilled, savoring the last moment of our innocence, and the beginning of our forever.

  He looked at me with eyes that worshipped me...

  His breath caught.

  My heart pounded fast.

  The feel of his smooth skin beneath my fingertips.

  Heat radiated from his body in waves.

  Never taking his eyes from mine...

  He lifted and wrapped my legs around him and slowly eased into me, burying himself deep inside me, making me forever his. He groaned and pressed his forehead to mine. "Ah, Grace," he cried out. He slid back with the most delicious slowness. "I love you so much," he growled with intense burning eyes that took my breath away. An indescribable pleasure tore deep through me and then he slipped all the way out. His arms trembled from holding me up against the door.

  Still holding me up, he turned and walked us to the bed throwing us down. Like two frenzied teenagers, we climbed up the bed on top of each other. He held himself over me, braced up on his strong thick arms, looking deep into my eyes. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him in.

  "Fuck, Grace. You feel so good," he whimpered thrusting into me. That's right, I made that man whimper.

  I cried out his name, body trembling. Shudders rocked through him, muscles tense, twisting and dancing over me, through me, deep inside me.

  He ravished my body with abandon and I clawed my fingers down his back and screamed his name. Just like he promised I would.

  I never knew it could be like this. I never knew. All night he loved me. All night he filled me will pleasure I never knew existed. All night.

  "OhmyGod, Shane. I can't effing move; I think you broke me," I yelped.

  Laughing that deep raspy sound I love so much, he wrapped me in his arms and covered us with my comforter. I snuggled my behind into him and our bodies fit perfectly together, like we were each other's missing pieces. His lips pressed against my shoulder and skimmed over the back of my neck. Resting his head against me, I could feel the smile that he had on his face. Gently stroking my hair back he whispered in my ear, "You're mine forever now."

  I flipped over to face him. And yeah, the smile on his face was the biggest I'd ever seen, and my heart leapt thinking I had put it there. "How in the world are you here with me? You left, I watched you leave," I blurted.

  His eyes darkened but his smile remained, "What's the point on living in the past? This is where I am right now. Right here in front of you." He nipped tiny butterfly kisses across my face.

  I started to freak out. Panic. Attack. "Why won't you tell me? What did you do? What happened?" I lifted my head and leaned on my elbow. "Please tell me, Shane. Please. You had Michael do something, he asked you to make your decision. What did you do?" My heart pounded hard and I seriously started feeling sick.

  "I gave it all up," he whispered. "I'm completely human. Mortal. Both of us are."

  "What? Why?"

  "You were the best part of me, and when they took you away..." He glanced into my eyes and his eyes welled as if tears were threatening. "Truth is, a soul of an angel is only ever capable of one pure true love, and you are mine. It didn't make a difference that you were human. The kiss, the first time my lips were on yours...the hell...I wouldn't take one moment of it back..."

  I sucked in my breath hard.

  "When I saw you, and you looked so much like you did as Selah, I couldn't think of anything but being with you again. Don't push me away no w, Grace. I can't live without you. I want to spend every moment for the rest of my life showing you how much I have loved you. I learned long ago to savor every moment, not to waste a second of it. I once found the other half of my soul and I've spent the last 2000 years in hell, or here just wasting my time until I could be with her again. Did you think that I wouldn't give up everything I could, anything I could to be with you again?"

  Tears poured down my cheeks.

  "Don't cry, babe. Every damn tear I have seen that fell from those silver eyes broke my heart. This, right here with you is the closest that I'll ever come to heaven. That's all right by me, because you are my heave n, Grace."

  I wiped at my tears, "I was going to leave tonight...Gabriel."

  "Shh...Grace. Gabriel works on fear and lies."

  "He's shown me so many things," I whispered. "I trusted him for so long."

  Shane's body tensed, muscles twisting to stone under his skin. He jaw locked tight and spoke through clench teeth, "He shows you things? You mean he...he touches you?"

  Oh hell. "Yes."

  "He put his fucking lips on you?"

  Oh no. "Yes."

  "I'm going to fucking kill him."

  I let out a long deep breath. "Good. May I help?"

  Chapter 31

  Electronic beeps and sirens reverberated through the room, piercing the silence of the morning. Ugh...what is that noise? My body was comfortably wrapped in a heap of blankets, burrito style. I had never felt more relaxed, alive and completely sated before in my entire existence. I groaned loudly as I reached out across the empty bed to find the source of the harsh sounds, my cell phone. Without looking, I switched it off.

  Why was I alone in bed? Holy CRAP! HE LEFT?

  I ripped my eyes open; the room was empty. Looking down at the phone in my hands, I flipped it on to see why it alerted me. A text message.

  Shane: 10:18 am Breakfast?

  That's when the smell of cinnamon and coffee reached my nose. Good morning butterflies in my belly, ready for breakfast with Shane?

  I messaged him back. Grace: 10:18 am Can u b anymore perfect?

  Throwing on a Mad World tee shirt and a pair of old jeans, I opened the door to my bedroom. Taped to the front of my door was a sign written in bold black letters: Devirgination in Progress Do NOT Fucking disturb! Oh Lea. I laughed loudly all the way to the bathroom, laughed through freshening up and laughed walking into the kitchen.

  Then all the air wrenched out of my lungs and my world, my heart, everything just stopped.

  Gabriel was standing in front of the stove, spatula in hand, making me French toast.

  Panic. I hyper-fucking- ventilat ed immediately.

  Was last night a dream? No. No, no, no, no. Too real.

  Was last night Gabriel? NO! NO! NO! NO! No, Gabriel would have never known the answer to my question. Right?

  I opened the nearest draw and grabbed the first thing that looked like I could use it as a weapon. A fucking back scratcher? Really? I sputtered out a hysterical frantic laugh and Gabriel turned to face me.

  "WHERE THE HELL IS SHANE?" I lunged at him shoving my hands hard against his solid chest. The back scratcher instantly cracked in half and fell to the floor. "What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?"

  Gabriel's dead eyes glanced slowly to the basement door where our laundry room was and a small sick smile played on his face.

  Charging past hi m, I almost reached the door. But, before I could get to the first step, Gabriel's arms grabbed me like steel vice grip. Screaming, I fought him like a wild animal. All I could think about was Shane down in the basement hurt, all I could feel was a building sickness in my stomach that everything was about to end.

  I punched and clawed at his face. I kicked and struggled against him. He counterattacked everything I gave him right back to me, breaking my spirit.

  Then, laughing, Gabriel opened the basement door wider and threw me down the stairs. My body slammed violently against the stairway wall and immediately I felt a warm wetness seep down my scalp where my
head made contact with cement. My knees buckled automatically and my body tumbled down the hard edges of the stairs as I grasped wildly for the banister. I managed to grip it halfway down, but by that time it was too late, my body felt broken. Blood ran down my face and hands and every muscle under my skin ached and burned like I was on fire. My arms gave up their hold on the railing and I slumped along the wall and slid down the rest of the stairs.

  On the cold gritty concrete floor, amongst the tiny pebbles and moisture of the earth below, I lost consciousness. Somewhere deep in the dark recesses of my mind I heard low murmuring voices that frantically increased in volume and frenzy. They muddled together, so that there was no coherence to them, but the emotion radiating from them was clear; fear.

  When I could feel the pain of my body again and the voices dimmed, the only sounds that touched my ears was raspy, shallow breathing. My head hammered with pain. I smelled vomit and felt its disgusting stickiness along my chin, down my chest and against my face. I swallowed back more vomit and tasted blood.

  Then I opened my eyes.

  And I wished I never had. I wished I never came back to Manhattan after my brother died. Never went to the bar that night. And never met him. Shane. Shan e, who was lying limp and broken in a pool of blood on the cement next to me. His dark hair glistened with deep red streaks and his once brilliant blue eyes stared at me in terror.

  Adrenaline surged through my body and I reached for him with shattered arms.

  "NO! SHANE!" I flung myself at him and cradled his head. I gripped at his chest, his arms; his neck trying to find a pulse, anything. I could feel myself screaming. I felt the gush of wind rise fiercely through my lungs, but I heard nothing. Nothing, but Gabriel's laugh behind me.

  Before I turned from Shane, I watched his eyelids flutter. Sheer terror crashed through me, I needed to get Shane help. I needed to get to a phone. God, please, please let me save him.