Page 40 of Lips of an Angel

My head thrashed side to side against the pillow. With my hands occupied with digging half-moons into his back, I tried to speak again.

I failed.

The only thing I managed was an impatient whine. I wanted to beg him to never stop—not ever.

“Shh.” He swiped my tears away while he held still for me to adjust to his size, trembling with the effort. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”

Move, Raleigh. I needed him tomove. I needed him to claim me, to mark me as his.

I wanted him to ruin me for all other men.

Raleigh read my silent pleas and pulled his hips back, snapping them forward and pulling a sound from me that I was sure could be heard down the Strip. When he asked if that was okay, I nodded and scrabbled at his hips, silently begging for more.

Or not-so-silently in my case. Raleigh took his time, slow, measured thrusts of his hips—but with the noises that came out of my mouth, you’d have thought he was splitting me in two.

Raleigh adjusted his position, and his next thrust nailed my prostate. I shouted so loud that my throat felt raw. Raleigh chuckled in my ear, the sound vibrating through my body and traveling to my cock.

“I always knew there was a screamer in you somewhere,” he growled.

I only proved his point as he slowly rolled his hips and his piercing pressed right against my sweet spot. Now I experienced what Eli always lost his mind about.

Raleigh spoke again, pulling me back to the present. “I’m close, darling, but I need you to fall apart for me first.”

I lunged forward, pressing my lips against his. Raleigh took that kiss as permission. Precome slicked up my belly, creating a glide between us. The onslaught of overwhelming sensations hurtled me toward my orgasm before I could blink. Electricity shot through my veins, my climax crashing into me like a tidal wave. I wasn’t ready for this to be over, but I lost the battle.

My cock swelled and pulsed between us. If we’d had neighbors, I’d owe them one hell of an apology. My throat was raw from screaming and crying. My eyes burned, my chest ached. Raleigh assaulted my prostate, drawing out the orgasm until I was quivering beneath him from aftershocks. With one arm under my head, he worked the other around my waist and picked up speed. The repeated taps to that magic button inside me quickly built another wave.

By the time Raleigh gave in to his own release, my sensations were so heightened that it felt like I threw myself over the edge a second time. Even through the condom, I felt the warmth rush inside me.

He roared through his orgasm, fist clenching so tightly in my hair that it brought more tears to my eyes.

And I fucking loved it.

My heartbeat rushed in my ears, Raleigh’s matching it beat for beat. I couldfeelhis pounding against my chest. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want this moment to end, to give way to the reality where we had to face the consequences of what we’d just done.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem that Raleigh did either. His arms shook, but he held his weight above me. My skin prickled, my wings aching to spread out, to wrap around the man currently ghosting kisses across my heated flesh and never let him go. I suppressed the urge, of course, but the combination of physical and emotional aches had me crying again.

“Angel…” he panted, lifting his head to look at me.

I protested, holding him in place by a hand in his hair. Choking back a sob, I let my body speak for me. The tears increased when Raleigh pulled out, and I released him long enough to dispose of the condom in the trash can by the bed. I cleaned our stomachs with a wet wipe, and he was right back in my arms, nestled between my legs with his head on my chest.

“Are we talking about it?” he asked, looking up to see my answer.

I didn’t bother wiping away the tears anymore. My throat ached when I swallowed. For the first time in our lives, I couldn’t get a read on Raleigh. His deep blue eyes sparkled in the neon lights streaming through the window. For a moment, I watched the colors bounce around his irises. Was he upset by what had just happened? I didn’t suppose so, since he was still lying on my chest.

We needed to talk about it. It would’ve been the smart thing to do. I should have told him that Eli had proposed and instead of giving him an answer, I’d told him to let me think about it and I ran home to fuck my best friend.

No, that was a crass summary of what we’d just shared. It had beensomuch more than just fucking. In giving myself to that man, I’d poured more of my heart and soul into those stolen moments than I ever had with Eli.

But I knew what I needed to do. I couldn’t cling to this fantasy. Raleigh made it clear from an early age that monogamy and commitment weren’t in his agenda. What made me think I was the exception? And even if I could be, I wasn’t going to put him through that.

In response to his question, I shook my head. Raleigh didn’t pry. Most people would have—Elimight have, as he had in the past. He was such a talker. Raleigh, however, gave me a smile and a soft kiss to the cross tattooed on my sternum, then laid his head down on my chest. With my hands combing through his hair, he drifted off to sleep.

Once I heard his telltale heavy breathing, I made what may have been areallybad decision. I closed my eyes, and let my powers spring free. My tattoos came to life, the tingling beneath my skin a welcome change to the building pressure of the past few years. I shifted on the bed, giving my wings room to spread out. I curled them around Raleigh, as they were large enough to cover even his massive form. He sighed and settled deeper into my arms. A golden glow settled over us, my powers as sated as I felt.

Tears threatened to come again. It was going to physically kill me to go back to normal after this. Guilt and regret tore through my chest. Worse, if given the choice I would do it all over again.

But now that I knew what it was like to have him, I had to face letting him go.

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