Part 12
Unexpectedly, breath whooshed into Cordelia’s lungs. She gasped, feeling as though weights had been strapped to her shoulders. Breathing erratically, her heartbeat quick, she felt heavy and lethargic. Then, after just a few seconds, she felt normal again. Her eyes arching upwards, Cordy said a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn’t had to claw her way out of her own coffin like some other people she knew, and took stock of her surroundings.
The light was dim, but she could still see an outline of furniture clearly. Carefully making her way over to a wide window, Cordy pulled back the drapes. A stunning view met her eyes—the twinkling lights of Los Angeles at night that always took her breath away. Her mouth curved into a smile upon realizing where she was: Angel’s apartment.
Dropping the drape closed, she turned and picked her way through the dark to the half-open doorway to his bedroom. Careful not to make a sound, she slipped through the door and moved toward the bed where Angel lay, his pale skin gleaming in the moonlight. One bright shaft of light spilled across his face, bringing the angles and planes into sharp relief. His mouth was closed, expression somber, almost angry as he slept. His fists gripped the blanket and as she watched, his jaw twitched in his sleep.
God, she loved him.
It struck her as she watched him sleeping. Standing there seeing him for the first time in months brought waves of emotion over her, so much so that she nearly staggered with the weight of them. Her fingers itched to touch him, but if there was one thing she’d learned when working with Angel, it was that one went about waking vampires in a very cautious manner.
But then, she’d never been one to follow the rules. She shook her head as she stared at him. Damn, the man was beautiful. A male version of sleeping beauty. At that thought, her lips curled upward in a smile, and once she’d thought of it, every other thought fled her mind. She would kiss him awake.
Carefully, she pulled her now-long hair around her neck to one side, wanting to avoid any warning touches before her lips met his. He clung to the edge of the bed, laying on his side. Kneeling down next to him, she stared into his face, almost willing his eyes to open. When they didn’t, her eyes softened, and she smiled briefly before moving in. Parting her lips slightly, she brushed them to his, once, then twice, waiting for a reaction.
Cordy frowned when she got nothing. Not even a twitch. Contemplating him for a moment, she decided to try a different tack. Moving in just as slowly, she darted out her tongue and dragged it along the length of his bottom lip, then back the other direction along the seam where his lips met. He parted his lips and she sighed, leaning in to kiss him fully. She didn’t touch him at all, save the soft attention of her mouth to his, a sweet, slow, deep kiss where she tried to coax him to enter it.
Finally, she got a reaction, although nothing like what she’d expected.
Just as she was really starting to enjoy the kiss, to marvel in the taste of him, a steel-hard arm clamped around her shoulders, a hand grasping her under her arm and pulling her across him and onto the bed. Immediately, she was pinned beneath his rock-hard body, one heavy thigh and strong arm clamping her in place.
She squeaked and wiggled, trying to pull away. She looked up into his face, about to voice her indignation, when her mouth dropped open.
He was still asleep.
Angel’s eyes were closed and his chest still, as if a statue had suddenly shifted then trapped her with him. He showed no signs of waking and that puzzled her. Angel was the lightest sleeper she’d ever met in her life.
Then again, David had said that he’d been going through a lot lately.
Tentatively, she ran a hand up his arm, dipping and curving around all of his muscles, her fingers loving the feel of his cool, smooth skin. His bicep twitched briefly as she squeezed it, a feather-like movement that she almost didn’t notice. Unable to help herself, she leaned over, her mouth tracing the same path her fingers had traveled. And still, he showed no signs of waking.
Emboldened by her lack of reaction, Cordelia moved up, her mouth finding his shoulder, then his neck. She stopped, breathing in his clean, cool scent, and her eyes closed at the wealth of emotions it inspired. Being with him, even in this way, was so comforting.
She really had come home.
Sighing, her breath fanning his skin, she moved closer again, her mouth opening and latching on to the juncture of his shoulder. Her tongue darted out, licking the spot where his pulse would have been, lightly fluttering there and tickling him. She jumped when she heard him growl.
He settled down again when she rubbed his chest gently. Deciding that his pulse point was too dangerous, she moved higher still, kissing his jaw and then finding his mouth again. This time his mouth opened, still obviously in dreamland, but he was dreaming of her.
She frowned against his mouth. He’d better be dreaming of her.
That slight mental detour cost her dearly. One moment, Cordelia had complete control of the situation; the next, her mouth was being plundered by an obviously turned-on vampire if the hard length pressing against her leg was any indication. For a moment, she lost herself in his kiss, his cool mouth so demanding on hers, his tongue insistent as it sought out her own. She moaned into his mouth, clutching his bare shoulders, her fingernails making half-moon shapes in his pale skin.
His fingers moved down, trailing under her collar, following the edges and tracing her warm skin underneath. Each touch felt as though it were charged with electricity, every nerve ending tingling with his nearness.
Her eyes crossed as he cupped her breasts through her thin shirt, and she moaned again. She knew she should pull away, should stop and wake him up, explain that they couldn’t do this unless they were bonded, but it just felt so good. And while she was arguing with herself, she missed the chance to back out. The next thing she knew, her breasts were bare, his mouth descending and capturing her nipple until all thoughts of fleeing vanished, instantly replaced by a growing hunger for the man she’d never thought she’d see again.
Angel seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. His eyes still closed, he whispered against her breast, “God, Cordy, I missed you so much.”
She bit her lip as he nipped her breast lightly, moaning, “I missed you, too.”
He kissed his way down her belly, her breasts aching from the loss of his attentions. His cool breath fanned her stomach, fingers coming up to pull at her skirt, making it seem as though it just melted away. She arched up against him, pressing her tummy against his open mouth, loving the feel of his slightly rough tongue on her silky skin. He sucked slightly, marking her, as his hand found its way between her legs to stroke her in just the right way. Within minutes, he had her panting, nearing a climax that she knew would make her sob.
He didn’t let her get that far, kissing his way back up her body and aligning himself with her entrance. Never once opening his eyes, he slid deep, groaning, and she lost her breath and swore her heart stopped. He filled her so well, so fully. Looking up into his face, she knew she’d come home. She belonged with him.
Angel pushed into the hilt, a fierce look of concentration on his face as he held himself there, still within her body. His mouth came down, feasting at the crook of her neck, and pinned her to the mattress, preventing any movement. She sighed, allowing him to set the pace, and enjoyed the feel of his body joined with hers.
“You feel so good, baby,” he whispered near her ear, “just like I always imagined you would.” He adjusted his hips slightly and she gasped, her nerves exploding at the slight movement.
He was still kissing her neck, licking, sucking, tasting. “You feel so real, like you’re really here with me, like this isn’t a dream.”
She managed an answer, though her lungs felt airless. “It isn’t. I’m really here, Angel.”
His face screwed up in a frown, as if she weren’t supposed to say that line. “No you’re not. You’re a dream,” he argued.
“I’m not, Angel,” she insisted, cupping her hands around his face.
“Don’t leave me, Cordy. Stay with me,” he whispered pleadingly, kissing her chin, and then her mouth. “Stay with me.”
“I will,” she promised breathlessly.
He stilled as she said the words, his forehead buried in her shoulder. “Promise you’ll stay with me.” His hands found hers and brought them overhead, gripping them tightly. “Promise!”
She grimaced at the pain of his grip, but answered, “I’ll stay, I promise.” It was the truth anyway. She was going to be bonded to him.
Time seemed to stand still as that last thought bounced across the walls of her brain like a bullet’s ricochet. Oh, damn it! The bond. She’d forgotten about it. She had to bond with him before the sex. Duh! How could she have been so stupid? Oh, yeah. Sleeping beauty. Sure! Damn the man! Why did he have to be so irresistible?
Angel had no such reservations and began to thrust within her, steady, strong strokes that made her eyes cross and her concentration flee. She fought for it, gripping his shoulders and shaking him, but her attempts were no more effective than a bee’s attempt to anger an elephant.
“Angel!” she shouted, but still he continued, his fingers moving down between them and stroking her clit, making stars appear behind her eyes. “No,” she whimpered, pushing against him again. “Angel!”
But still, he didn’t listen. She began to pummel him, her fists hitting his shoulders, her tears flowing as she knew they were close to something catastrophic if she didn’t stop him. She knew somehow, knew intuitively, that Angel would realize she was real somewhere along the way, and it would give him the impetus he needed to lose his soul. She wouldn’t let it happen, not after all she’d been through to get this far.
She was fast running out of options. She frantically searched her brain for any other choices, her body betraying her and tightening around him even as she argued against it. Angel changed tactics, lifting her hips and tilting her slightly, changing his angle and making her gasp at the new sensations. But the shock of the change in adjustment gave her the moment she needed to find the answer.
Suddenly, an insanely brilliant idea popped into her head. She knew she’d been smart to sneak those vampire sex manuals out of Wesley’s office. At first it had been out of a twisted curiosity, but now she thanked her lucky stars that she’d been such a perv. She knew exactly what to do.
Grabbing his head, she opened her mouth and bit him hard on the curve of his neck right where his pulse would have been.
The reaction was instantaneous. In the throes of his lust, Angel’s head jerked back, his features shifting immediately, his eyes flying open. He growled at her, staring unseeing down into her face, and swiftly descended toward her neck. She squeaked as his fangs penetrated her skin and then sighed as the pleasure of the penetration washed over her.
She didn’t have any time to enjoy it. One minute she was laying beneath Angel, gasping at the surprisingly pleasurable sensation of a vampire’s bite, and the next, he had her by the neck, his powerful fingers gripping her tightly and cutting off her air. He jerked her roughly off the bed, holding her aloft. Slowly, he sat up, his demon’s eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
“Angel,” she croaked, barely able to gulp the air in she needed to speak. He kept his grip, and she knew he wasn’t fully awake yet. She gripped the wrist that held her, pulling on him, beating her fists against his arm as she tried to get him to loosen his grip. For a moment, she thought he’d squeeze her new life right out of her, but just when she started to see stars behind her eyelids from lack of oxygen, he released her, dropping her to the floor with a thud.
“Okay, bad idea,” she said gruffly, coughing a bit and tenderly rubbing her shoulders where his finger marks were sure to be visible for at least a few days. Her body still tingled from being joined to his, and she ached to jump back into his arms. Looking up into his face, she shrank back. Definitely a bad idea.
Angel stood up from the bed, towering over her in an impressive display of anger. He didn’t seem to notice that he had not a stitch of clothing on, and somehow, it didn’t detract from his commanding presence one iota.
She gulped, startled for a moment as she stared at him in all of his masculine glory. Sure, he’d just been inside her, but she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. She gulped again.
He smirked down at her, the danger in his eyes still firmly in place. “Stare much?”
She couldn’t help herself; she laughed. “You do talk like me!”
Angel’s expression was immediately puzzled, then the anger over took him, even stronger than before, and he moved closer. It was obvious he was fully awake now, the memories of his “dream” coming back. Only now, he knew it wasn’t just a dream.
“Stand up!” he growled.
Noting the menace in his tone, she complied, but not remaining silent. “Angel, it’s me. It’s Cordy!”
He shook his head, stalking towards her and backing her in the corner. “Cordelia’s dead,” he said, his voice flat. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re trying to pull, but she’s dead!”
“No! They let me come back! I begged and begged and—” He didn’t let her finish. Snarling, he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall, her head banging unmercifully against the hard surface.
“Don’t fuck with me!” he growled, his demon sliding off and his human eyes glinting with tears. “Not about this. Not about her! Cordelia is OFF LIMITS, is that clear?” Instead of getting louder with each word, his voice dropped, quieter and quieter, until the last word came out on a hissed whisper.
Cordy’s eyes filled with tears as she watched him struggle. Despite his strong grip on her, she slowly raised her hands to cup his face, stroking her fingers along his cheekbones. She was surprised that he would let her, but he did.
“I’m Cordy, Angel. I’m back. The Powers sent me back.”
He regarded her in silence for a moment. “How can I trust you?” he finally asked, his voice breaking. She saw the struggle in his eyes, and knew in that moment that this being a farce would kill him. His heart would break and he’d dissolve into dust on the spot. Her heart ached for him in that moment.
“You tasted me, Angel,” she said simply.
The reaction was instantaneous. He shrank back from her, his hands leaving her abruptly and making her feel cold all at once. His eyes were frantic, darting around the room as he closed his mouth and swallowed, tasting her on his tongue. He’d smelled her blood before, yes. But tasted her blood? No. Never. It would be unthinkable. And yet, every time the tantalizing aroma of her blood had filled the air, he’d tasted it on his tongue even if his mouth had never come near her wounds. The scent had been that powerful.
Now it seemed as though it were happening again. But it couldn’t be. She was dead!
“No,” he said again, shaking his head and sinking back onto the bed. “This is some kind of trick. You aren’t her. You can’t be her!”
She was crying now, tears streaming down her face, love and worry in liquid form. “Please, Angel. I love you. Don’t push me away. Not when I’ve just come back! Prove it to yourself that it’s me. Taste me again.”
She reached up, touching the wounds in her neck where the blood had slowed. She prodded them gently, the clot breaking and her warm blood trickling out again. Immediately, his nostrils flared at the scent of her blood on the air. He took in the aroma, his delicate senses breaking it down and searching it for hidden falsehoods and finding none. Now, in the harshness of reality, he could analyze it critically. She smelled like Cordelia. Like the woman he’d sworn never to forget but never thought he’d have the chance to see again.
But he had to find out for sure. Only another taste of her would satisfy his need for reassurance. She walked over to him, tilting her neck and moving her hair out of the way in obvious invitation, her eyes full of love. He took her shoulders gently in his hands and brought her closer, his cool tongue reaching out and licking up the blood that dripped from her wound, quickly swiping over the wound and closing it to the air. His eyes closed, squeezed tightly shut, as the taste of her burst on his tongue, overwhelming him.
Oh, sweet lord. It was actually her. His beloved Cordelia had returned to him.
Slowly, his eyes opened, and a torrent of tears spilled from them. He vaulted to his feet, reached both arms out and grabbed her to his chest, crushing his mouth to hers. His kiss was all-encompassing, an infinity of days filled with misery and sadness without her all poured out into one physical touch. He purged himself of his pain, clinging to her, sobbing as he frantically tasted her as if he could never get enough.
After what seemed like too short a time, he pulled away from her, knowing that she needed breath. Still clinging to her, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing her tenderly, laving her skin with his tongue, licking his mark again.
“God, Cordy, I can’t believe its you. I never thought I’d—” His voice breaking, he pressed his forehead against her shoulders, squeezing his eyes shut to keep the tears from flowing again.
Cordy wrapped her arms around him, clinging just as tightly, her own tears dampening her cheeks. “I know, brood boy, I missed you, too.”
He laughed against her and then pulled back as his hands gently cupped her face. Smiling down at her, he kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her chin, and finally her mouth. This time, it was soft, gentle, and achingly sweet.
“Cordy, I love you. So, so much.”
“And I love you.” She smiled softly, gently rubbing his chin with her thumb. “But damn, bubba, do we have a lot to talk about.”
Part 13
“Um, hey.” Connor’s voice was less than enthusiastic as he took in the slight form of Jace’s girlfriend.
Eve smiled at him, but Connor noticed that it didn’t reach her eyes. He frowned inwardly when he suddenly realized that Jace’s rarely did, either.
“Jace has been bragging about you a lot, Connor.” Eve’s voice was casual. “Says you have a lot of talent.”
Connor shrugged. “He’s been a good teacher.”
“From what I just saw, looks like your talent goes beyond the norm.”
His eyes darted away and he shuffled a little bit. “I’ve learned a few new things, is all.”
“Uh huh.” She made it sound like anything but. Pulling away from Jace, she stood on her own, crossing her arms over her chest and regarding him with a regal set to her chin. “Has he told you anything about what you’re training for?”
Connor’s eyebrows raised. “I’m training for something? Thought we were just messing around, you know?”
Eve smiled indulgently. “Everything has a purpose, Connor.”
A fierce frown swept over his face at her comment. The phrase rang a discordant note in his soul; so many people had said something similar when his parents had died so needlessly. “Yeah, whatever.” The bitterness in his tone was clear.
“Thing is,” Eve continued, “Jace and I need someone like you. We have something important that we need to do, and you’re our best shot at getting it done. You’re our ace in the hole, Connor.” She smiled at him in what looked like an attempt at motherly affection. It didn’t fly.
Connor looked at them skeptically, his eyes darting back to Jace and pinning him like an insect under a microscope. Jace had the grace to clear his throat and look away.
“You mean you’ve been playing me this whole time?” Connor’s sounded calm, but there was an undercurrent of anger there that Eve was quick to reassure.
“No!” she said soothingly, reaching out to touch his arm. “Jace was just doing his job. But he likes you. He told me so himself.” She didn’t seem offended in the slightest when he jerked away as if she were infected with some contagious disease.
“I do, Connor.” Jace’s eyes met his. “You’ve become like a son to me. You know that.”
Connor just stared at him, his expression unreadable. After a moment of silence he said finally, “So what is it that you want me to do?”
Eve’s insides exploded in glee at his reluctant acceptance. “Jace and I work for a secret organization that hunts down and eliminates dangerous criminals. People who prey on others. People who aren’t . . . aren’t quite people.”
“Yeah, sure,” Connor said, the skepticism dripping off his tongue. “Like the CIA and shit.”
“More like the MIB and shit,” Jace cut in, referring to one of Connor’s favorite movies. “Otherworldly stuff, you know?”
Connor’s eyebrows wigged. “Aliens? Yeah right.”
“Not aliens.” Eve was scornful, waving the thought away with a slash of her hand. “Everybody knows that’s crap. No, what we deal in is the mystical. The supernatural. The monsters that everyone doesn’t want to talk about.”
“Like what?” Connor asked, curious despite himself.
Eve shrugged. “You name it. Witches, warlocks, demons, werewolves, vampires. . .”
Jolted inside by her last word, Connor fought to keep the reaction from showing on his face. Somehow he knew it would be a really bad idea to tell them about his dreams. About his dream vampire parents.
“So what’s this got to do with me?”
She stared at him for a moment. Abruptly, she began to pace back and forth like a general giving orders. “There’s one enemy that’s beaten us time and again. He’s extremely powerful, and even more evil. He needs to be eliminated; the whole of California, maybe even the entire world, is in danger from him.”
“What’d he do?” Connor asked innocently.
“He’s murdered thousands, tortured scores more. He ended an extremely promising path to world peace. He’s single-handedly destroyed one of the most powerful, benevolent law firms in L.A.”
Connor caught something else swimming in her tone, something much more personal. “Sounds like a lot of anger towards one bad guy,” he said artlessly.
Her jaw clenched, the fury in her eyes barely controlled. “He also killed my fiancée last year.”
Connor just nodded, his face carefully expressionless. Bingo.
“I’m sorry,” was all he said. “So what do you want me to do?”
Eve smiled, the expression almost inhuman. “We want you to kill him.”
Part 14
“Talk? Now? Nuh-uh” Angel pulled her back into his arms. “I just got you back. Talking is the very last thing I want to do right now.”
Cordelia definitely agreed but knew that they still had a lot to discuss. Namely, they had to finish this bond. Pronto. She still had to drink from him to complete it. Laughing, she steadfastly turned her face away when he made a move to kiss her. “Angel, we have a lot of time for that later. Believe me, a whole lot of time.”
He scrutinized her carefully. “You mean you don’t have to leave again?” Her promise in his dream flitted back to him, making him worry that he’d imagined it.
“No,” she said softly. “I don’t. I promised, remember?” she smiled gently. “It’s a long story, one that probably shouldn’t be told here where there are so many . . . distractions.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being distracted,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her and purposefully pressing her hips against his. She closed her eyes and groaned as she felt his hard length pressed against her stomach.
“About that. . .” she said, trailing off. Suddenly, she got an attack of shyness and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “The Powers have given me a way to secure your soul.”
He was speechless for a moment. “What?” he asked when he recovered.
She looked up and met his eyes. “They sent me back on one condition. They said that I had to bond myself to you, and that your soul would be secured by it. I’ll be with you until you die.”
“God, Cordy, that’s. . .” there were no words for what he felt.
“I know.” It really was too much to take in. “They said it has to be done soon. The bond will lose its strength if we wait.”
“Okay. Let’s do it. Now.” He pulled away from her, grabbing her hand and tugging her back to the bed.
She just laughed at him, tugging back. “Hold your horses, cutie. I still have to explain.”
“What is there to explain?” Looking puzzled, he gestured to her neck. “I’ve already claimed you when I bit you. You bite me back. We make love. End of story.”
She gaped at him for a moment, then blinked rapidly.
“Isn’t that it?” he asked, obviously impatient.
“Well, yeah,” she said, nonplussed. “But you kinda stole my glory there, dork.”
A smirk graced his lips. “Gee, sorry, Cordelia.” He obviously didn’t mean it at all. He tugged on her hand again, and she moved toward him this time. He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her legs apart and settling her on his lap. Reaching up, he tenderly stroked her face.
“I love you, Cordelia.” Sincerity was written over every part of his face.
“I love you,” she whispered back, her eyes filling with tears. She scooted forward until they were touching, close, but not yet joined. Bracing her knees on the mattress on either side of his hips, she pushed herself up, then reaching down, encircled him and guided him into her. His hands went down to grasp her hips, sliding her down onto him until they both gasped from the pleasure. She stilled there for a moment, panting, and looked over into his eyes.
The naked love there overwhelmed her.
Cordelia didn’t know if she’d ever seen Angel’s eyes so open, so raw with emotion. He tightened his fingers on her hips, grasping her firmly, then lifted her up, then down again, creating a thrust that had her closing her eyes and throwing her head back in agonizing pleasure. He leaned into her, his mouth finding her neck again. The moment his tongue ran over his mark, her eyes flew open and she gasped. She knew in that instant that if she’d have been a vampire, this was the moment that her demon would come out and she’d claim him as her mate.
Being human didn’t deter her in the slightest. Pulling his head back by his hair, she growled at him, a low, feminine sound of possession, and his eyes darkened at the feral look in her eyes. He reached his hand up to his neck, taking one fingernail and digging it cruelly into his skin, right near the bite marks she’d left there earlier.
Immediately, his blood welled up in the cut and her eyes dilated, fixating on the small wound. She lunged for him, her mouth fastening there and suckling frantically, the copperish taste of his blood washing over her tongue and making her groan. She knew instinctively that she shouldn’t be enjoying this so much, but she was. She was surprised that she enjoyed the taste of him, dark and earthy. Somehow, she knew what to do, pulling her mouth away and licking the broad side of her tongue across the jagged tear, sealing it and slowing the flow of blood.
They stared at each other as the bond overtook them, bringing them closer and closer as they joined into one. She couldn’t read his mind, that would have been freaky, but she could sense him like she never had before. She could feel his apprehension, his love, his worry, more acutely than she’d ever felt before. And somehow, she knew he could feel her as deeply.
Desperate to deepen the connection, she ran her hands down his chest, their eyes locked as their bodies completed the bond their souls had already made. She went to move against him, but Angel growled and flipped her over so fast she lost her breath. He was suddenly looming over her, his heavy body pinning her to the mattress as he sank deep inside her. His mouth came down and molded to hers, tasting her lips as he’d tasted her blood. His hips began to move against her, thrusting in a steady rhythm that had her gasping and begging for him never to stop.
And then, all solemnity was gone. It was replaced by a love so deep, so consuming that neither of them could stop its overflow. Frantic, he thrust, desperate to go deep, desperate to touch her and show her how he loved her. They moved, in a rhythm as old as time, and together, they found the stars.
Part 15