Heaven's Embrace (Her Angels #1)

“I just feel like you guys could be doing something else with your eternal lives, you know?” I unlocked the door and pushed it open before stepping into the apartment. “I mean, if I were an angel, I wouldn’t be hanging around with the likes of me. I’d be out scouting the hottest men. Seeing all the best shows. Maybe even go to a nude beach.” I paused, tapping my chin. “Actually, definitely going to a nude beach. Or the changing room at Thunder Down Under.” I waved a hand. “You know, something like that.”

I threw my bag on the two-person breakfast table. It banged against the backside of my beat-up couch, barely keeping from spilling over. While my apartment was full of hand-me-downs and thrift store specials, I had saved up to buy a few nice things. Like my television. My thirty-two-inch T.V. equipped with surround sound made me feel like I was living in Middle Earth during my Lord of the Rings marathons.

There were a few things I cared for: emergent entertainment and good water pressure. Since one of those things couldn’t be helped, I did what I could about the other.

Unfortunately, my apartment didn’t allow for a fancy bed, or I’d have my dream four-poster equipped with a princess style canopy. Instead, I was stuck with a twin bed shoved between the wall and entertainment center/nightstand. Even if I could let one of the celestial beings enamored with me show me the hotter side of Heaven, it’d be a bit awkward since the bed barely fit me.

Gabriel laughed, startling me. All thoughts of getting one of the angels to fit into my bed flying from my mind.

He shook his head as he chuckled, making his hair fall over his eyes.

“Been there, done that. Not much fun when no one can see you.” I rolled my eyes as I kicked my heels off, losing a few inches. Gabriel’s fingers curled over my shoulders, and he leaned down until his breath brushed hot on my neck. “Or feel you.”

“I can’t really feel you either, you know.” I cursed myself for sounding as turned on as I felt. Months of these guys hanging around me had made me drawn as tight as a nun’s habit, with no chance of trying to relieve it. You try masturbating when you know angels could pop in on you at any second. Not fun.

“You can feel me more than any other human.” One of Gabriel’s hands slid down from my shoulder to wrap around my waist, sending a buzzing down my spine and into my naughty bits. I could see the hard line of his cock, and I forced back a groan. Did they all have to be so perfect?

Trying to get my mind off the temptation presented in front of me, I moved out of Gabriel’s embrace and went to the fridge. I needed something cold to bring down this heat.

“Don’t you have other angels? Females that could help you out in that department?” Even as I made the suggestion, part of me growled. The thought of some gorgeous female angel touching my guys pulled out the jealousy in me. Who’s attached? Not me.

I dug around in the fridge until I found my leftover Chinese and a bottle of five-dollar wine. Not even bothering to get a glass, I unscrewed the top of the wine and took a big swig. I tossed the Chinese into the microwave as I pretended Gabriel wasn’t watching me like a starving animal.

“Female angels are stuck-up bitches too absorbed in the Almighty to pay the rest of us any mind,” Gabriel practically growled as he stalked toward me. “You aren’t anything like them.” He grinned. “You’re so much better.”

I snorted. “So, I’ve been told.” Inside, I was dancing at Gabriel’s praise. Take that angel bitches.

“Come now, Jane.” Gabriel brushed against my body, as close as he could get without being inside of me. Which honestly wouldn’t be a bad thing. “Don’t you want to explore what could be between us?”

“Believe me, what I want to do to you guys has less to do with exploring and more to do with exchanging body fluids.” I smirked.

“We could make that happen.” Gabriel’s hot gaze burned along my skin, making me squirm.

I turned my head away from him to take another large drink from my wine bottle. I had a nice little buzz going now, which did nothing to dampen the party in my pants. “Unless you have some way of becoming solid that I don’t know about, I think you’re just blowing steam out your ass.”

“You think an angel would lie?”

“Of course not. Well, maybe Lucifer.” I smiled. “In any case, shouldn’t you be spending your time, you know, up there and not with me?” I tried to remind him of the big boss man in the sky. Wouldn’t He be pissed if his angels loved someone else?

Gabriel shrugged. “We have a duty, but it’s not the same thing.” When my baffled expression didn’t change, he sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re not immortal, you wouldn’t understand.”

“I could if you’d explain it to me.” I tried to coax him, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Humans don’t really get the whole indebted for your entire existence thing,” Gabriel explained. The way he lumped me in with all the other humans irritated me like I was just like everyone else.

“Well, excuse me for being human,” I clipped. Wouldn’t understand, my ass. I could see freaking angels. How could I not understand?

Taking my wine bottle with me, I stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. It wouldn’t keep the angel out, so I didn’t bother locking it. Still, I hoped I had done enough to make him leave me alone, at least for tonight.

When he didn’t immediately follow me inside, I knew he’d gone. Well, that was fine… I needed to calm down anyway, and I knew just the thing. I turned on the shower.

Sure, I’d have to reheat my food, but I’d rather have soggy Chinese than spend another minute in my soaked panties.

I dared to take my time showering for the first time in months. I had PTSD from Lucifer popping in unexpectedly, making every shower into a tits, pits, and ass ordeal. My hair had split ends from not being properly conditioned.

“Why have you upset Gabriel?”

I screamed and clutched my arms to my chest. Shoving myself as far into the corner of the shower as possible, I glared over my shoulder at the blond angel.

“What the fuck, Michael?” I snapped, getting even more pissed off by his bored expression.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he leveled a serious, considering look at me that made me shift in place. “My apologies, I didn’t realize you were bathing. Gabriel came home quite distraught, and you know how much I dislike hearing him whine. Alas, here I am.” He gave an elegant shrug.

Dressed in tight-fitting jeans and a black V-neck, Michael could give any Sexist Man Alive a run for their money. Of course, he’d actually have to be alive for that, but you get the picture.

“I can’t have this conversation right now while my junk’s hanging out.” I glanced at him once more and frowned. “How are your clothes not getting wet right now?”

Michael huffed as if my question was more exasperating than it actually was. “I’m not corporeal, but ...” He reached out and slid a finger along my slick skin and then rubbed his thumb against that finger. He held his hand up for me to see the wetness there. “I can feel what has already touched you.”

I gaped at him. “Huh?”

“Don’t try to think too much about it. You’ll give yourself a headache.” Michael shoved his hands in his pockets with a frown. “Not saying your dumb… it’s just too complicated to bother trying to understand.”

“Fair enough.” I threw the shower curtain open and grabbed a towel. Quickly drying off, I grabbed the discarded pajamas from last night off the floor. Not even bothering to put on underwear, I pulled on the shorts with little bananas on it and a tank top with the words ‘Spank the Monkey’ written across the chest in yellow. They’d been a gift from my best friend Mandy before she became a party pooper by getting a real job.

Man, I missed her.

Though quiet, I didn’t miss the heavy gaze on my body as I marched back out of the bathroom. Like I’d thought, Gabriel had gone home, wherever that was, but sadly he’d left his guard dog behind.

Erin Bedford & J.A. Cipriano's books