Page 53 of Property of Azrael

“Does that happen a lot?” Though they both had their similarities, I wouldn’t call them identical. They were the same towering height, shared the same hair and eye color. Even the angular cuts of their jaws were similar. But all it would take to tell them apart is to look at them a little closer. Az has a freckle under his left eye that’s so small, I’d almost missed it myself. His nose is slightly longer than well.

“You’d be surprised.”

“So what happened when she realized you weren’t Asher?”

“We had a good laugh. Turns out, she had a huge crush on my brother, but didn’t know how to approach him, so I helped her with that. Six months later, they were inseparable and engaged, the date set for after graduation.”

“When did it happen?” He stiffens at my question, an unreadable look crossing his face. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

“It’s hard to explain,” he offers. “One second, she was here, planning her wedding with my brother, torturing us with color schemes and flower choices. The next, we were burying her.” The way he describes it sends prickles of uncertainty swirling in my belly. For a moment so tragic, he gives away only a few details. Maybe out of pain or bad memories, but whatever it is he’s holding back, he’s doing it for a purpose. “Asher hasn’t been the same since she died.”

“So what was this morning about? Was it me?”

“It was,” he admits freely. “Asher and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. He’s so jaded by the loss of Kennedy that he’s walled himself off from letting anyone new get close to our club.”

“I mean, if it were me, I’d get his point. I’m not one who easily let someone in.” Until him. For the first time in years, I felt comfortable enough to let someone into my life. Az had scaled the walls and infiltrated my life with so much ease, even now I still have a hard time believing I’m really here with him. “What can I do to make it better? I hate that my being here is driving a wedge between the two of you.”

Az considers my question. If there’s something I can do, I’ll do it. “Let’s just give him some space. I think being away from all the painful reminders at home will do him some good.” He reaches over and closes my laptop. “Speaking of relaxing, I think that’s enough writing for the day.”

“But I was just getting started,” I protest.

“So am I, Hallie.” Moving my laptop to one of the side tables, Az leans in, pulling my chin with his fingers to him, and kisses me deeply. “We have the whole place to ourselves. It would be a waste if we didn’t enjoy it.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’m calling in on that rain check.”

He throws me over his shoulder and walks us back into the house.

“Put me down!”

I pretend to kick and pound on his back, and get a smack on the ass for my efforts.

We get as far as the kitchen, where Az deposits me onto the end of the banquet table and draws me to his mouth, igniting the fiery spark between us.

“I could kiss these lips every minute of the day and never tire of them.”

His lips move to my earlobe, then farther down to my neck and collarbone, sending goosebumps along my skin. Grabbing my hips, he pulls me to the edge of the table and against his body, pressing my molten core to his hard length.

“I’m going to devour you at this table, baby.”

He tugs at the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head, leaving the thin lace bra the only thing separating his mouth from my breasts. Licking his lips, he pulls the cups down and takes a nipple into his mouth.

I whimper shamelessly under his touch.

“The sounds you make, Hallie… Fuck.”

He leans back and takes a seat in the chair I had occupied only a few hours ago when we all shared a meal on this very table. Gripping my thighs, he drags me closer to the edge and removes my shorts and panties. I want to see him, so I raise up on my elbows and watch as he leans his head forward and swipes his tongue through my folds.

My arms go out from under me, and I land back on the table. “Fuck!”

“You taste so good, baby, it should be a sin,” he murmurs between my thighs. “You’re dripping onto the table, soaking it with your greedy cunt.”

My hips grind into his face, begging for the sweet release I’m chasing. The pressure mounts as he slips two fingers inside of me, dragging them against my G-spot. Invisible flames burn through my body as I writhe against him.

“Say my name, baby. Tell the world who’s eating your delicious fucking cunt. Tell them who this pussy belongs to. Say it, Hallie.”

I feel his lips, his tongue, his teeth, his breath. I feel him, feel me, and I can’t take another second. I don’t just fall off the cliff; I fucking dive off of it, my body trembling. My voice is making sounds that could probably summon the Devil, but I can’t find it in me to care.

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