Page 25 of When the Angel Falls First

“Josie…”

But the memory had a hold on me. “You drew circles along my hips, across my stomach, gently pulling the elastic and letting it slap back down on me as you looked into my eyes, and I smiled at you with a challenge to go further.” I sucked in a breath, the anticipation I felt that day creating a wetnessbetween my legs in the present. “And you did. You slipped your whole hand down. This hand.”

I took his hand in mine, inspecting it as if to see if it really did happen. Like those memories branded into my own skin would be right there branded into his, too. I heard him moan, low and quiet, only enough for me to hear, and the sound sent a thrill of heat shimmering through me.

He remembers.

“These fingers reached down, caressed the place that no one else had touched?—”

“You weren’t wearing any underwear.” His eyes burned into me, but I wasn’t going to release him now. I knew his cock was growing hard under the table, didn’t have to see it to know it. I always knew when Caleb was in the throes of desire.

“You slid your finger between my folds, teasing, even as my body demanded more.”

He closed his eyes as I still held his hand between us. “You were soaking wet for me.”

“I was desperate for you,” I corrected him, a little breathless at the way his voice sounded strained as he fell into the memory right along with me. “And you brought me to the brink of explosion before you even spread my lips. You tortured me, and you loved every second of it.”

His eyes snapped open again, holding mine with burning heat as he spoke.

“I gave you such a reward though, didn’t I? I knew you were ready, when I found that throbbing little clit of yours. One press. That was all it took. You screamed louder into my ear with each circle.” He drew those same circles on my palm, and the shudder that tore through me felt like I was reliving every second of that night seven years ago. “I found you open and ready for me, dripping, but I stayed focused on you. Youwere so sweet under my touch as I pressed harder into that spot, lifting its cover, making you moan until your voice was rough with satisfaction.”

Waves of heat rose up my neck, not because the conversation made me blush, but because I would have done anything for him to climb across the table with its fancy linens, toss the crystal aside, and shove his hand down my skirt the way he’d done then. I was playing with fire, and it was burning me up with need.

But I can’t forget that our love story ends with him taking off on me.

I dropped his hand. “And when you had taken every ounce of my energy as I’d screamed and moaned and begged you to stop and start again… we lay there for an hour, talking about the stars, the great beyond, the heavens above—like it was all a mystery. Only for you, it wasn’t.”

His gaze was steady on mine despite the accusations in my tone, his lips pressed into a tight line as he nodded silently yet again.

“And after that…”

“Please, Josie,” he tried again, but I couldn’t stop now.

“That swim,” I rushed on. “I remember looking over at you, your skin glowing in the moonlight, and I thought I’d never be happier than I was in that moment. I was right.” I paused, my breathing shallow as a combination of anger and sadness cascaded through me. “We sat on the edge of the dock, our feet dangling in the water, your arm around me, holding me like you were going to hold me forever. You pointed to Mount Rainier and said that one day we would be at the top, and the world below would be a distant memory.” My eyes burned as I held his gaze. “You had nolimitationsthen, Caleb.We had nothing butpromises.It was just us, and we were perfect.”

He swallowed hard, but I couldn’t let him off the hook.

“Why was it so different then?”

He dropped his face into his hands, and my heart twisted at the sight of him struggling. But there was one more thing he needed to hear.

“You seemed very human when we fell in love.”

Caleb looked up, silent, his eyes reflecting a deep turmoil. His lips parted as if to say something, but no words came out.

“I know it was a long time ago,” I whispered. “But I’ve been carrying all of that with me ever since you left.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked me straight in the eye, and there was no doubt he meant it. Two little words that left one big chink in the armor I’d built around my heart. A crack I felt all the way down to the marrow of who I was.

“Excuse me.” The fancy maître d’ returned. “But can I interest you in some dessert?”

“No,” we both said in unison. I snapped, but he just sounded sad.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Caleb said. “You have to know I would never want that.”

The maître d’ cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you to your conversation then.”

“So, angels just have a bit of a cruel streak, then?” My sarcasm was hardly veiled.

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