License Notes:
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be copied or re-distributed in any way. Author holds all copyright.
This book is a work of fiction and does not represent any individual living or dead.
Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover design by Jo Michaels
Typeset by Jo Michaels
Edited by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Both of INDIE Books Gone Wild
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
Victoria rose from bed and stretched. As she did, her wings burst out, stretched wide, and then curled around her slight frame. They’d been itchy all morning, and they were driving her to distraction. She reached back and ran her fingers through the feathers, pulling a few out and scratching the spots they came from. It felt so good she sighed.
“I love that sound.” Vance’s voice was deep and breathy, full of desire. It sent a shiver down her spine.
“You’re incorrigible, my love.” Turning, she gave him a sly grin and a wink.
“Only because I have the most beautiful wife in the world.” He patted the bed. “Come on back and lay with me.”
After shaking herself, she folded her wings, rather than performing the painful retracting process, and leapt onto the springy mattress, bouncing on her knees a few times.
Chuckling deeply, he reached out and grabbed her waist, pulled her down, hovered over her, and then lowered his head for a long, sensuous kiss.
Her body tingled all over with want. They parted, and she curled her fingers into his long, black hair, loving the silkiness of it.
“My dark husband. Who could’ve ever imagined that we’d be married?” Love for him filled her up as the sun streamed glorious beams through the sliding glass doors, illuminating him from behind, making him look like a vengeful angel.
His eyes changed from chocolate to crimson, and he smiled. “Certainly not me.”
“God is glorious, isn’t He?”
Vance chuckled. “I’ve come to realize that, yes, He is. I spent so many centuries not believing, and it’s taken many more for me to wrap my head around all that happened that beautiful Christmas Eve.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Neither would I.” She licked her lips in anticipation of more.
He obliged, crushing his mouth to hers, making her already pounding heart double in speed.
“I hear that, and it makes me want to make love to you all day.” A growl tore from his throat as he pressed his body to hers.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat.
Victoria gasped, and Vance moved so quickly he was a blur. He had the stranger, a man, in a strangle hold in a flash, razor sharp incisors extended to full length and positioned for the kill.
Recognition hit her, and she held up a hand. “Wait! Stop!”
Vance froze and cut his gaze to her, one eyebrow up.
“He’s a friend.”
His eyebrows drew together, and he spoke around his fangs, the question sounding odd. “Friend?”
“Yes. He’s one of the seraphim. Please, let him go.”
Carefully, he released his hold and backed away. Not far enough to allow anything to happen, but enough to let the angel speak for himself.
He rubbed his neck as he turned to look at his assailant. “Aren’t we the protective one?” His wings were tucked in tightly behind his back, and his chest appeared as though it had fresh oil applied. His muscles glistened in the sunlight, his sky-blue eyes sparkled, and his curly blonde hair lay over his shoulders like a soft woolen blanket. He was beautiful.
Vance growled, his jealousy obviously kicking in.
“Gabriel, what are you doing here?” Victoria asked as she got to her feet, the sheet draped around her body. She hated the sight of the archangel. That could only mean trouble was on the horizon.
“Father sent me. He has a mission for you two.” Gabriel extended a hand with a piece of rolled parchment tied with a ribbon. “Here’s the missive. If your boyfriend doesn’t mind.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, and he tossed his blonde hair over one shoulder, letting it splay out over his folded wings.
Vance eyed the wings and moved away. They were deadly weapons when it was required, and he knew that, having fought many battles alongside Victoria.
“Husband.” She smirked in return as she tucked the sheet securely around her body and snatched the note, trying to ignore the way Gabriel’s eyes were roaming from her face to her feet and back up again. Memories made her skin grow hot.
“Excuse me?” he asked, his jaw dropping, and his lustful gaze dissolving.
“Vance is my husband.”
“But I thought… What about… How in the world did that happen?”
“Really? I haven’t seen you for a couple of centuries. Did you think I’d melted?” She untied the red ribbon and unrolled the parchment, alarm filling her as she read the golden words.
Vance was at her side in a moment, one arm snaking around her waist protectively. “What is it?”
“There’s something going on in New Orleans, and Father has requested that we go there and find out who’s behind it,” she answered.
“Louisiana?”
She nodded, her hand over her stomach where the butterflies were threatening to burst free.
“But we were just on a mission. Isn’t there anyone else?” he asked.
Gabriel chuffed. “Not up to the task, vampy?”
The air in the room got thick and heavy, and Victoria held her hands out to each side, shaking her head. “No. We don’t have time for this. If the situation is as dire as this letter says, Vance and I need to prepare to leave. And you”—she cut her gaze to Gabriel—“need to go. Now.”
“Can I speak with you a moment?” His eyes never wavering from her face, he pressed his lips together a moment before continuing. “In private?”
“I have nothing to say to you, Gabriel. Now go.” She hoped he didn’t start rambling on and on about their relationship—or whatever it could’ve been interpreted as.
“Fine. I’ll leave. For now. But I’ll be back.” In a flash of light and thunder, he disappeared, a few falling, snow-white feathers all that remained.
Vance moved to stand in front of her, and she cringed, sure she knew what was coming. He didn’t disappoint. “What was all that about?”
“What?” She gave him what she hoped was an innocent look and widened her eyes as though she was clueless. Please, don’t press the issue.
“That!” His hands gyrated through the air toward the spot Gabriel had been standing. “All that!”
“What part of all that are you referring to?”
“Did you and Gabriel have a thing?”
Yes. “Not really.”
Vance took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “Sweetheart…”
“Okay, okay. Yeah, we did, but it wasn’t what you and I have. It was more… I guess physical, you could say?”