THE REAPER'S KISS
by Dale Ibitz
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Sex and poison aren’t enough to help William forget his status as a shunned reaper with a sordid past. Rejected, disgraced, and hopeless, he straps on his emotional armor so no one will ever hurt him again. His path to redemption for his sins is side-tracked by Natalie, an exquisite human trying to save her sister from the horrors of the Other World. But then Natalie’s reckless actions sets William on a collision course between his past and his present: a demonic tyrant who wants William back in her bed; the sadistic daughter of an angel who wants revenge on his murdering mother-goddess; and the mother-goddess who demands obedience and love from William, her favorite child. After learning the dark secret of Natalie’s past, how much will he sacrifice to save her soul?
William lost himself in sensations: the taste, the smell, the feel, everything that was Natalie. His lips continued their trek along her neck, down to her collarbone, before starting up the other side to taste her other ear. Warmth infiltrated every molecule of his body, melting the darkness in his soul, his heart, and his mind. He wanted Natalie not just physically, but emotionally. He wanted her to want him, to need him.
To love him.
Why was he torturing himself? He was no longer free to pursue her.
Lifting his head, he peered into her eyes, wide and dilated. She breathed heavily, the rise of her breasts pressing against him, stirring a need to tear off her clothes and forever brand her as his.
Her lips parted, drawing his gaze. Slowly, he sucked on her lip ring. Her lips were full and pliant, and she tasted warm and soft, like sunshine.
“Does your mouth hurt?” she whispered when he abandoned her.
“Nothing hurts when I’m touching you.”
And it was true. Overpowered by her essence, the aches dissipated: the ache in his heart, his body, and his soul. He felt whole and free, free to live and love and be a man that could be loved.
If only Natalie could love him back.
Craving another taste, he opened her mouth with his tongue. She welcomed him in, allowing him to push inside as deeply as he wanted. He savored her until she writhed and pressed her curves against his budding hardness. One hand cupped her breast, squeezing until her nipple hardened. When he rolled his thumb over the peak she broke off the kiss to lean her head back and moan. He immediately sought her neck, kissing a trail toward the neckline of her shirt.
The world faded. The bargains faded. His fate faded. All that mattered was Natalie, here and now and kissing him with all the passion he could ever hope for, initiating a desire he now knew only one woman could ever satisfy.
“Ahem.”
William froze as Bianca’s voice slammed the door on his fantasy. Closing his eyes, he murmured, “Sorry. I forgot where we were for a moment,” before stepping away and facing the other woman. To his surprise, she was grinning.
“I see you haven’t lost your touch.”
Natalie blushed. He could tell by the wave of heat hitting his back. Needing to put distance between them, he straddled the chair once again. Unable to behold his Natalie without striding across the room and kissing her, he distracted himself by sloshing another shot of vodka into his cup and tossing it down. He shuddered when the burn hit the back of his throat.
“But,” Bianca continued, “I thought the whole point of this exercise was to keep the girl’s soul safe.”
He studied the table, unresponsive, unable to admit the kiss had been all pleasure, not business. At least on his part.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He winced at Natalie’s question. She just couldn’t stop asking questions, could she? Gripping the cup in his hands, he braced himself for Bianca’s answer. If there had been any wavering in Natalie’s feelings toward him, it was about to unravel.
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