Angelic Surrender Page 12

  A moan rose from his throat as she went lower, tracing the top of his jeans with her mouth. “What kind of monster have I created?”

  “One who can’t get enough of you.” She lifted her head and pulled her shirt off, followed by her bra.

  His eyes widened at the sight of her breasts, and the end table jerked off the floor.

  “Would you like a taste?” she teased

  He licked his lips, and the red glow simmered in his dark eyes. “Very much so.”

  She tipped forward, and he expertly caught one of her breasts in his mouth. His teeth grazed her aching nipple. A jolt of pleasure raced through her, causing her to inhale sharply. Even with his hands tied, he knew how to take her to the edge of an orgasm.

  He released her breast and flicked his tongue over the taut peak. “Why are you tormenting me like this?”

  “Payback.” She gave him her best naughty grin and began removing his jeans. “Besides, this way, we don’t have to remake the bed.”

  “You’re such a devious woman. When I get my hands free, I’m going to—”

  His threat halted when she eagerly took him in her mouth. The metal chain of the handcuffs rattled against the legs of the table. His cock filled her mouth with its throbbing heat. He arched his hips so she could take him deeper. She almost swore she could smell his desire growing with each bob of her head. She’d surrendered to him before. Now it was her turn to make him beg.

  When she glanced up, his face grew tight. “Please, my pet, as much as I’m enjoying your hot little mouth, I’d much prefer something else.”

  She gave him one final lick along the underside of his shaft, lapping up the pearl of liquid that gathered on the head. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Why don’t you take your pants off and find out?”

  She stood and shimmied out of the rest of her clothes. His cock twitched as he watched her, and his breath grew shallow. Behind him, his wings strained against the confines of his shirt. She started to unbutton it. “Shall I remove this first?”

  “Anjali, if I don’t get inside you soon, I’m going to make Lucifer look like a saint.”

  She wanted him inside her too, but not until he uttered the words she wanted to hear. As the last button slipped out of its hole, his wings wrapped around and pulled her to him like another set of arms. She lay against him, staying in front of his erection so it only grazed her buttocks. “Say it, Will.”

  “I’ve already told you that I’m as much yours are you are mine. Do you really need me to promise you more?”

  She cupped his cheeks in her hands and studied him. It still boggled her mind that this beautiful angel wanted her and no one else. She brushed her lips against him, tasting the remnants of the BBQ potato chips on them instead of the ambrosia she would have imagined. He was as real as any flesh and blood man, but so much more. And she wanted all of him.

  “Do you really need me to tell you that I love you? Haven’t I shown you as much?”

  “Sometimes a girl likes to hear those three little words.”

  The tips of his wings traced spiraling circles up and down her spine. Tension coiled deep inside the pit of her stomach. She physically ached for him, but she could wait this out.

  He lifted his head and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you now and forever.”

  Although she’d known it all along deep inside, his murmured words knocked the air from her lungs. Wetness seeped into the corners of her eyes. Caught in a world between ancient enemies, between angels and demons, she’d found the one man who captured her heart. Before she let her tears fall, she raised her hips and took his cock deep inside her, finding a home in the bliss that followed.

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading Angelic Surrender. I hope you enjoyed it!

  Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my new release newsletter at www.cristamchugh.com, follow me on twitter at @crista_mchugh, or like my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/cristamchugh

  Reviews help other readers find books. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative, so please take a moment to leave on Goodreads or wherever you bought this book.

  You’ve just read the second book in The Kavanaugh Foundation series. The other books in the series are Heart of a Huntress (Book 1) and Kiss of Temptation (Book 3). I hope you enjoy them all!

  --Crista

  PS – Keep reading for an excerpt from the next book in the series, Kiss of Temptation.

  Kiss of Temptation

  The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 3

  She was sent to make him burn…

  It takes a witch to outwit another witch, so when Daniela finds herself in the catacombs of Rome intent on retrieving the legendary Staff of Octavius, she’s prepared to wield her innate fire magic to claim the staff and keep it—and its overwhelming power—from getting into the wrong hands.

  All her Foundation training, however, never prepared her for Luc.

  One breath of her scent is enough to reawaken a thirst Luc hasn’t felt in six hundred years. It’s enough to make him almost forget his vow to keep the staff out of the wrong hands—and to never give in to his bloodlust. The moment he touches Daniela, the last shreds of his humanity revive with a violent fury and drive him to claim her…blood, body and soul.

  He’s her enemy. He’s arrogant and infuriatingly secretive. And his kiss makes her want things she shouldn’t—like abandoning her mission to spend eternity in his arms. Crossing that line, though, could not only send them up in flames…it could condemn all mankind to hell on earth.

  Warning: Contains a smolderingly hot (literally!) witch, a sexy, brooding vampire, wild sex you want to sink your teeth into, and a sensually charged romance that spans several lifetimes.

  An Excerpt from Kiss of Temptation

  Daniela fought back a squeal as a spider scurried away from the narrow beam of her flashlight.

  Snakes she could handle. Rats too. But creepy-crawlies always sent a shiver down her spine.

  Once her heart slowed, she returned to the markings etched into the wall. Centuries of condensation had taken their toll, leaving behind a thick layer of slimy calcium deposits that coated the wall. She scraped some of it away and found the symbol of the eagle. Perfect! She was still on the right track.

  The eagle’s outstretched wing pointed to the tunnel on the far left, so she followed it, venturing deeper along the twisting paths that led her farther into the underground catacombs of Rome.

  The air grew heavier with magic the closer she got to her destination. Her breath hitched. Morwen had said the staff was well-hidden, but she hadn’t mentioned anything about protective spells guarding it.

  She gathered her power and sent out small tendrils of magic to search for the source. The other force retreated down a tunnel to her right, further adding to the unease that rolled in her stomach.

  It wasn’t a spell—it was another witch or warlock.

  Merda!

  She clicked off her flashlight and hid in a crevice.

  Several agonizing minutes passed while she listened for any voices or footsteps that would give her a clue about the other person’s whereabouts, but none came. Part of her was tempted to return to the surface and come back tomorrow for the staff. But the urgent nature of her task strengthened her resolve and allowed her to step back into the corridor. Morwen said the vampires were searching for magical artifacts like the Staff of Octavius, and Daniela refused to let them find it.

  The musty scent of the tunnels filled her nose as she continued farther into the catacombs with the aid of her flashlight. Her shoes left fresh footprints in the dust. These passages hadn’t been disturbed in years. Each step took her farther away from the foreign magic, and the tension eased from her shoulders.

  The tunnel came to an intersection. Hundreds of skulls formed the wall in front of her. Their eerie smiles seemed to mock her as she searched for the next eagle. Whoever had buried the staff wanted to make sure the mar
kers were a pain in the ass to find.

  Tendrils of magic grazed the back of her neck and she froze.

  The other witch was sending out feelers for her.

  Daniela whipped around, her magic poised at her fingertips to summon a fireball if needed.

  Before the spell could fly, a man grabbed her and lifted her off her feet. His hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream. “Shh!”

  The wild beat of her heart pounded in her ears, breaking her concentration. This strange man was hauling her off into a side crypt, and she couldn’t even cast a simple spell to save herself. Her helplessness faded as anger replaced it. She may be in Rome’s mass grave, but she refused to become a permanent fixture.

  The man released her before she could summon the spell again. He pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to where she’d been standing, right before he doused her flashlight. Darkness descended on them.

  She tried to wrench free of her captor, but he pressed her against the damp wall. The man was a rock-hard mass of muscle, even though he’d appeared lean when she’d glimpsed the outline of his body. The spicy scent of his cologne tickled her nose. He turned around and kept his back to her, allowing her only a glimpse of the flickering lights coming from a side tunnel when she peered over his shoulder.

  Thank God I’m not alone down here with this lunatic.

  She opened her mouth to call for help, but when she heard the other party’s conversation, her blood chilled.

  “Shut up and find the next marker,” a woman with a French accent muttered. “I need to find the staff before Morwen’s little brat does.”

  “What makes you think she’s sent someone?” a male voice replied.

  The flickering lights grew closer, outlining the silhouettes of three people. They paused in front of the wall of skulls.

  “Colette, perhaps you should consider making this your new home,” the other male joked. “The decor seems to fit your tastes.”

  A swing of Colette’s arm sent him crashing into the skulls. The crunch of dry bone echoed through the tunnels, but the man picked himself up off the ground and laughed. “I must have hit close to home to get her that pissed off, eh, Phil?”

  “Shut up, you imbecile,” Colette growled.

  A beam of light turned toward the crypt where Daniela hid behind her captor. He smashed her even closer to the wall until her nose pressed against the soft cotton of his shirt.

  Her head spun, and she wasn’t quite sure if it was due to his presence or the fact she’d been holding her breath since she realized who the woman was. Morwen had warned Daniela about the vampire witch, but she never expected to be less than twenty meters from her.

  “I sensed another witch down here,” Colette continued. The light flickered back to the intersection. “I’ve lost her trail, though.”

  “Maybe you’re not as powerful as Marcellus thinks you are.”

  She raised her hand to strike him again when Phil aimed his flashlight to the ground. “Someone has been here.”

  All three of them bent over the footprints in the dust marking the place where she’d stood before her captor whisked her off of her feet.

  Daniela’s throat tightened.

  Please don’t let them come this way. One vampire I can handle, but not three.

  She looked up at her captor, wondering if he would set her free or turn her over to them.

  He didn’t even flinch.

  “The footprints end here,” the first male vampire said.

  “She must have sensed my presence and retreated. Find her.” Colette pointed in the direction Daniela had originally come from, and the other two vampires bolted. She lingered behind, taunting in a singsong voice, “Come out, come out wherever you are, little witch. I’ll find you eventually.”

  Her temper flared at Colette’s insult. Little witch? Doesn’t she realize that I’m the third most powerful witch in the Foundation?

  Her captor reached behind and grabbed her wrist, the commanding grip dousing the inferno of magic inside her.

  Several seconds passed before Colette followed the other two vampires.

  Several more elapsed before Daniela allowed her breathing to return to normal. Morwen was right about Colette wanting to find the Staff of Octavius, and God only knew what she’d do with it once she got it. She’d probably make opening up a portal to Hell seem like a party trick.

  All the more reason to find it.

  Her captor released her and took a step forward, allowing her the opportunity to squeeze past him. She’d just reached the skull wall when he caught her arm and started dragging her back to where they’d hidden.

  “Let go of me.”

  “Silence!” He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “Do you want them to find you?”

  “At least I know their motives.”

  Her knee smashed into his groin, but all she got from him was a short grunt. His viselike grip didn’t waver. “I thought Morwen had better sense than to send someone else to find the staff.”

  She stopped struggling. “You know Morwen?”

  “Yes,” he replied, his face still concealed in the shadows. She knew nothing about her captor other than he seemed to be made of stone and had the slightest French accent.

  Before he could elaborate, heavy footsteps pounded down the tunnel and light bounced off the slime-coated walls. “I heard something this way,” Colette’s voice echoed.

  Her captor tightened his grip on her arm and carried her back into the darkness. This time, he didn’t smash her against the wall to hide her. He raced through the pitch-black tunnels with a speed that made her heart want to jump into her throat, twisting and turning as if he had his course already mapped out and memorized. How did he know where to go? What was to stop them from crashing into a wall?

  Or worse, a pile of bones?

  At least they were losing the bloodsucker.

  His steps didn’t falter as he ran past the heavy iron gate she’d opened earlier that evening using her magic, and carried her up the four flights of stairs to the Via Agrippa. The humid night air bathed her face, a stark contrast to the cool damp of the catacombs. She didn’t have time to enjoy it. Her captor set her down and continued to drag her through the crowded street.

  “Where are you taking me?” Would causing a scene with a spell be safer than going along with this stranger?

  He stared straight ahead as he pushed deeper into the throngs of people that glutted the sidewalk. “Away from them.”

  “And why should I think you’re better than them?”

  That made him pause. He stopped and turned to face her.

  Her gut wrenched.

  Mio Dio, a man shouldn’t be that gorgeous.

  Ebony black hair framed a face with a strong jaw and a slightly crooked nose—his only flaw as far as she could tell. But his eyes took her breath away. They were such a deep blue, they almost matched his hair.

  He looked her over from head to toe and sucked in a deep breath. His mouth fell open, and for a few heartbeats, they just stared at each other. Then his jaw tightened. “I’m the least of your worries.”

  As if on cue, a woman’s scream pierced the night. Daniela spun around. The crowd parted like the wake of a speedboat, but it moved way too fast for normal humans.

  Her throat closed up.

  The vampires.

  The stranger yanked her out of her daze and pushed her against the window of a crowded café. Gorgeous or not, she was getting tired of the Neanderthal treatment. She was about to give him a piece of her mind when his lips crushed against hers, cutting off her words and nearly making her swoon. At first she resisted, but he continued to kiss her, slowly wearing down her defenses. By the time his tongue brushed against the seam of her mouth, she eagerly opened it to him.

  She couldn’t remember the last time a man had kissed her this way. So strong. So domineering. So possessive it made her toes curl. A flush spread from her face all the way to the pit of her stomach, and her sex ached. Altho
ugh she barely knew him, she already wanted to forgo this sexual foreplay and head straight to the bedroom. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she began kissing back with a ferocity that surprised her.

  Perhaps it surprised him too. A muffled gasp worked its way out of his throat. He pressed his body against hers so that his erection rubbed against her. For a would-be rescuer, he acted like he wanted to screw her right here in the middle of the street. One hand grabbed her buttocks, lifting her so he could grind against her. The other worked its way between them and cupped one of her breasts.

  Her head reeled with each delightful twist of his tongue, and she slipped further and further into her lust-filled trance. He could be working with the vampires for all she knew, but at this point, she almost didn’t care.

  She froze and opened her eyes.

  Her mission.

  She needed to find the Staff of Octavius before Colette, not waste time playing tonsil hockey with a stranger. And as much as she wanted to continue, her duty to the Foundation came first.

  He must have sensed her unfortunate jolt of reality, because he ended the kiss by gently sucking on her bottom lip. “I think they’re gone now.”

  She barely noticed the dazed people pulling themselves off the ground around them or blaring horns from blocks ahead. Her voice didn’t want to work. “Gone?”

  “Oui.” He placed a quick peck on the corner of her mouth. “They passed us and are probably several kilometers away by now.”

  The fog of lust evaporated, leaving her with a sharply cruel vision of the situation. He’d only kissed her to hide her from the vampires, and she’d humped him like some horny teenager.

  Merda!

  She hung her head, unable to meet his eyes, and tried to slither past before he caught on to her humiliation, but his arms formed a barrier on either side of her.

  “We were lucky,” he said.

  “Were we?” Daniela snapped her head back up and pursed her lips. “Lucky in what way? That they didn’t catch us? Or that you got to feel me up in the process?”