holds too much appeal. But the soft, sweet
cherubim don’t look as attractive anymore, do they? All sighs and coy giggles.
So feminine. So different from Adam. Look at him, Renatus. Just look.”
Ren’s eyes were drawn to Adam. He’d found a treasure of some
sort and stood at the counter, paying for his purchase.
Adam turned to him and smiled, blissfully unaware of the
demon standing at Ren’s shoulder.
An unforeseen consequence of this trip to Earth hit him, and
Ren’s chest clenched in fear. Heaven help him, what had he done? He’d led Meela
right to Adam. Ren’s mouth felt dry, his tongue thick as he listened to Meela’s
taunts.
“He’s a handsome human, isn’t he? How did it feel last
night? His hard, male body against yours, his lips kissing, his hands touching.
Did he put his mouth on you or did you suck him off? Did you bend over and let
him ram his cock in your tight little angel ass?”
“You have a vile tongue, Philomela.”
The fallen angel recoiled at the sound of her Heavenly name
and Ren hesitated. Names held meaning and truth, the essence of what one was.
Could she no longer bear to hear the truth of her own name, to be reminded of
who she had once been?
She was a friend once, long ago, before Lucifer had seduced
her and many others. Before the rift tore the Realms apart and Hell was
created. So many good souls, lost forever to damnation. The thought tempered
Ren’s anger with sorrow.
“Why do you bedevil me? Surely there are other things which
could occupy your time.”
“But nothing so amusing as you, Ren.” The words held a dull
resonance. She lied.
“Be gone, Meela.”
“You have no claim to this place. You cannot banish me.”
“No, I cannot. But I can send you from my presence. Leave me
now.”
Her face contorted with anger. A sheen of inky scales spread
over her skin and her hair darkened, tawny curls giving way to gnarled black
ropes. The false beauty of her disguise melted away until only the demon was
visible. Then she vanished with a hiss and a flick of her forked tongue.
The damaged plastic angel in his hand wriggled. He looked
down to find its features replaced by the demoness’s.
“You can send me away, but I’m not the one you have to
watch,” it warned, pointing a clawed finger at him. “The sin within you will be
your downfall, and when you give in to it, I’ll be at the gates of Hell to
welcome you.”
Chapter Five
The third shop they visited was just across the street from
the little café where they’d met. The bistro seating area was full of people
taking advantage of the unusually pleasant fall day, just like they had the day
before. Had that really just been yesterday? Adam shook his head. More than a
little amazed to realize he’d only known the man beside him for a day.
Adam’s heart swelled with something he didn’t want to name
as Ren moved to the window. Was he looking for their table? Not the one they’d
used yesterday, when the shop was crowded with men and every pair-up was
observed and noted. No, that wasn’t the table that mattered. Their table was
the one they used last night, when the darkness had given them privacy and kept
their secrets. That was the table where he knew he’d fallen.
Renatus already held part of his soul.
The thought that should have warmed him chilled instead.
He’d waited so long to find a man with whom everything felt so easy, so
natural. A soul mate. Now it had happened. Adam finally felt that heart-deep
bond. He should have been happy.
But Ren wasn’t staying.
Tom would call him every kind of idiot if he knew just how
hard and fast Adam had fallen in love.
Adam tried to swallow the lump that threatened to suffocate
him.
“Are you going to help me look this time?”
Ren turned from the window with a tight smile. “You make it
sound as if I didn’t help you look in the other stores.”
“You didn’t. You wandered and joined me when you were done.”
His teasing tone seemed to soothe that
cherubim don’t look as attractive anymore, do they? All sighs and coy giggles.
So feminine. So different from Adam. Look at him, Renatus. Just look.”
Ren’s eyes were drawn to Adam. He’d found a treasure of some
sort and stood at the counter, paying for his purchase.
Adam turned to him and smiled, blissfully unaware of the
demon standing at Ren’s shoulder.
An unforeseen consequence of this trip to Earth hit him, and
Ren’s chest clenched in fear. Heaven help him, what had he done? He’d led Meela
right to Adam. Ren’s mouth felt dry, his tongue thick as he listened to Meela’s
taunts.
“He’s a handsome human, isn’t he? How did it feel last
night? His hard, male body against yours, his lips kissing, his hands touching.
Did he put his mouth on you or did you suck him off? Did you bend over and let
him ram his cock in your tight little angel ass?”
“You have a vile tongue, Philomela.”
The fallen angel recoiled at the sound of her Heavenly name
and Ren hesitated. Names held meaning and truth, the essence of what one was.
Could she no longer bear to hear the truth of her own name, to be reminded of
who she had once been?
She was a friend once, long ago, before Lucifer had seduced
her and many others. Before the rift tore the Realms apart and Hell was
created. So many good souls, lost forever to damnation. The thought tempered
Ren’s anger with sorrow.
“Why do you bedevil me? Surely there are other things which
could occupy your time.”
“But nothing so amusing as you, Ren.” The words held a dull
resonance. She lied.
“Be gone, Meela.”
“You have no claim to this place. You cannot banish me.”
“No, I cannot. But I can send you from my presence. Leave me
now.”
Her face contorted with anger. A sheen of inky scales spread
over her skin and her hair darkened, tawny curls giving way to gnarled black
ropes. The false beauty of her disguise melted away until only the demon was
visible. Then she vanished with a hiss and a flick of her forked tongue.
The damaged plastic angel in his hand wriggled. He looked
down to find its features replaced by the demoness’s.
“You can send me away, but I’m not the one you have to
watch,” it warned, pointing a clawed finger at him. “The sin within you will be
your downfall, and when you give in to it, I’ll be at the gates of Hell to
welcome you.”
Chapter Five
The third shop they visited was just across the street from
the little café where they’d met. The bistro seating area was full of people
taking advantage of the unusually pleasant fall day, just like they had the day
before. Had that really just been yesterday? Adam shook his head. More than a
little amazed to realize he’d only known the man beside him for a day.
Adam’s heart swelled with something he didn’t want to name
as Ren moved to the window. Was he looking for their table? Not the one they’d
used yesterday, when the shop was crowded with men and every pair-up was
observed and noted. No, that wasn’t the table that mattered. Their table was
the one they used last night, when the darkness had given them privacy and kept
their secrets. That was the table where he knew he’d fallen.
Renatus already held part of his soul.
The thought that should have warmed him chilled instead.
He’d waited so long to find a man with whom everything felt so easy, so
natural. A soul mate. Now it had happened. Adam finally felt that heart-deep
bond. He should have been happy.
But Ren wasn’t staying.
Tom would call him every kind of idiot if he knew just how
hard and fast Adam had fallen in love.
Adam tried to swallow the lump that threatened to suffocate
him.
“Are you going to help me look this time?”
Ren turned from the window with a tight smile. “You make it
sound as if I didn’t help you look in the other stores.”
“You didn’t. You wandered and joined me when you were done.”
His teasing tone seemed to soothe that
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