Page 57 of Lips of an Angel

Had Eli had the same conversation with Angel that he had with me? “Why did you agree to marry him then?”

“Because I wasn’t sure the person I loved most in this world loved me back.”

Unfortunately for Angel, I didn’t talk about emotions well. Even though I knew what he meant, I needed him to say it. “What are you talking about?” Terrified that the answer wouldn’t be what I wanted to hear, I rose to my feet. I needed to get rid of that damn bottle or I’d end up chugging it. I grabbed it and headed into the kitchen to stow it.

Footsteps sounded behind me, but I didn’t turn, too afraid that he would sign something I didn’t want to see.

“You.”

I turned in shock. I hadn’t been looking at him. Which meant… He’dsaidthe word?

The reality of the situation slammed into me like a freight train, and the bottle slipped from my grip to smash on the tiled floor. With the scent of tequila wafting around us, I faced him. “What?”

Tears streaked his face, and his hands trembled, but he took a deep breath, falling back on sign. “I thought my powers were combating sin, but they were protectingyou.I’m in love with you,Raleigh.”

I choked out a disbelieving sob. After so long, I’d resigned myself to never hearing his voice again. Heat prickled behind my own eyes. “I’m sorry?”

He rolled his eyes, hooking an arm around my waist and tugging me closer. My arms closed around him, and he shook in my grip.

“I love you.” Unsurprisingly, his voice was hoarse.

Angel’s arms around my waist were the only thing keeping me standing, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how his small frame could support my larger one—until I noticed a golden light illuminating the kitchen. Angel’s hair shimmered and his tattoos woke up, blinking from beneath his shirt collar.

I took a shaky breath. “I-I don’t… Youspoke.Angel, I?—”

Angel’s nose brushed mine, his gentle way of shushing me. I was desperate to lean in, to make that small move that would bring our mouths together.

“Nuh-uh,” I said, forcing myself to step back from him. I cupped his jaw in my hands before the sting of rejection could form in his eyes, and I continued, “You said your piece, now I get to say mine. Got it?”

He nodded.

“I love you too.”

That heart-stopping smile graced his face, and his cheeks turned pink, warm beneath my palms. Before I could get into my emotional confession of love, he lunged forward, bringing our mouths together. I grunted into the kiss, melting into him. His head tipped back, his body molding so perfectly to mine that I wondered how I ever thought anyone else could fill the space. I sighed in contentment, and Angel took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into my mouth. The kiss turned desperate and messy, our tongue rings gnashing against each other's teeth and clinking in the quiet room.

When we broke for air, we both caught astrongwhiff of tequila fumes.

He grimaced, signing, “Maybe we should get that cleaned up first.”

I grumbled, looking back at the spill, and reluctantly agreed. “I’ll take care of it.”

He hesitated, looking up at me with a question in his eyes.

I smirked, remembering his submissive behavior from the last time we were together. “Go to my bedroom and get undressed. Don’t touch yourself. I want you to lie on the bed and wait for me. Can you do that for me, darling?”

My precious Angel didn’t speak, but he bobbed his head emphatically and went on his way.

As I cleaned, I tried not to get too in my head about Angel switching back to sign language. It had been a long time since he’d spoken so much as a word. This was a monumental moment for many reasons, and I knew he was overthinking it. Was talking exhausting, I wondered, when you hadn’t exercised the muscle in over a decade?

By the time I finished cleaning,Ismelled like tequila. I stripped out of my clothes as I walked down the hallway, tossing them into the void. Shirt, pants, then I shoved my boxer briefs down and kicked the fabric away; I didn’t want a single piece of fabric separating me from the man in my bed. I’d spent too long refusing to see what was right in front of me, and I’d be damned if I continued to do it.

Angel was precisely where I’d told him to be. He lay on his stomach, head on mypillow, facing the door. Another pillow was strategically placed under his hips, lifting his ass into the air. His eyes were shut, but when he heard me, they opened to look at me—and my heart melted. How in thehellhad I not known I was in love with this man? A dreamy sigh pushed past my lips, and I collapsed against the door frame. Angel smiled and damn if my knees didn’t buckle.

For now, I forced my legs to work, advancing into the room. Angel writhed atop the mound of pillows, and with every step I took he wriggled a little more.

“That’s it, darling,” I praised. His hips kicked forward, his cries muffled by the cotton. “Now that I’m here, you can have whatever you want.”

On the last word, I crawled onto the bed, straddling his hamstrings. Our size difference allowed me to stretch over him and blanket him with my entire body. His hips moved, and he brushed against my bare cock. The friction was almost too much. My left hand trailed over his arm until I reached his hand, prying it from beneath his head. Our fingers laced together, and he squeezed.

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