Restraint (The Revelation Series Book 2) (2 page)

“
Stop focusing on your unmerited guilt about Kaiden. You did what we trained you to do. Your actions were simply an act of self-defense. Yes, he was a casualty, but it was either you or him. Your response to his assault was instinctive and essential. He was clearly going to harm you. Killing him was the only way to stop him, siren,” he consoles in a gentle manner.

“I know.”
I sigh. “I just can’t help think if I hadn’t, Aria would still be here with us. Deacon only murdered her in retaliation for the death of his brother,” I answer, emotionless.

Asher shakes his head from side to side.
“You don’t know that. Deacon is half-demon. He kills for fun, Eve. Regardless of what happened to Kaiden, he would have attacked you,” Asher argues.

I
silently hold his eyes for a moment. “Tell me you saw how quickly Aria moved in front of me. Ash, that wasn’t normal.” I breathe out, my eyes pleading with him to see what I saw.

His
attention slides to the window with an intense focus on the clouds, as if they hold all the answers. Then, without a sound, he stands, offering his hand to me. My fatigued eyes lift and lock onto his glowing ones.

Asher’s expression
says more than words can. I place my hand into his as he brings it to his lips, kissing it lightly before guiding me to the back of the plane and into the small bedroom. Everyone’s silent as we pass by. They’re guarded. They know Asher and I aren’t supposed to have this much contact. We’re breaking the rules. But for now, they turn a blind eye in sympathetic understanding.

The moment
we’re in the room, he closes the door and guides me to the bed. I sit, my eyes never leaving his, or his mine. He bends down and pulls off my knee-high boots, one at a time, before standing with me. I inhale, trying to keep my breath even.

With one hand entwined in mine,
Asher uses his free hand to fold down the covers and help me get into the bed, allowing me time to snuggle in and get comfortable.

After I’m secure
ly within the warmth of the soft blankets, he lies down on top of them and reaches across the bed, taking my hand again and holding it overprotectively in his. The action warns me he fears I’ll disappear if he’s not touching me.

He
gathers me in his arms and kisses the top of my head with a gentle sigh. The small act causes goose bumps to rise on my skin as I close my eyes and continue to focus on controlling my breathing. I inhale his scent and bask in his closeness.

“Sleep.”
His voice is just above a whisper and his minty breath tickles my ear.

“I can’t.”

“Just close your eyes.”

“I’m afraid.”

“You’re safe, siren. There’s nothing to fear,” he assures, tightening his hold on me.

“
That’s not true. I have everything to fear,” I argue.

“
It is true. You’re protected. No one can hurt you,” he guarantees.

I close my eyes knowing
the promise is deceptive but allowing myself to believe, even briefly, that it could be real. “Okay,” I concede as a spark of hope ignites inside my heart.

“
I’ll make all the awful disappear.” My protector vows the quiet promise while rubbing random designs on my lower back with his thumb.

I
rest my head on his powerful chest, allowing the echo of his deep breathing to lull me, easing my uncertainties. My hand finds its way over the protector tattoo that binds us through our blood bond. The force hums between us, melting me from the inside as I float away into a dreamless and visionless sleep.   

2
New Realities

Reluctantly, my eyes open, dragging me from my deep sleep into reality as I cling to Asher’s peaceful form like a lifeline. Taking advantage of his slumber, I allow myself to watch him while my mind drifts, wondering what it would be like to wake up every morning to his striking face. His eyes flutter for a brief moment, jolting the long dark lashes before they rest again.

With
out waking him, I take my fingers and run them over the dark stubble dusting his chin and jawline, cherishing the feel of the prickly hairs. Asher’s plump, kissable lips filter air in and out as he dreams. I frown at my daydream. The truth is, my fantasy will never come true. The realization slices my heart, causing it to bleed out as I release a harsh whimper.

In response
, Asher pulls me closer. His breath tickles my hair before he kisses the top of my head again. A tiny smile crosses my lips at the affectionate gesture. Curling into Asher’s side, I vow to relish every moment I can with him. I will be in the now.

He
drops his chin toward me and speaks in a hushed voice. “You sleep okay?”

I nod. “Actually, I did. No visions,
nightmares, astral projecting or realm jumping.” My response is truthful.

“Good
. You needed a peaceful rest,” Asher replies.

“
You really did make the awful disappear,” I whisper in awe.

“You can th
ank me for my awesomeness later.” He grins cockily.

I roll my eyes. “
Don’t let this go to your head, gargoyle.”

I can feel Asher’s face tug into his signature
sexy smirk as he tightens his hold on me, enjoying our contact before turning to look at the clock and letting out a frustrated growl.

“We’ve bee
n asleep for a few hours. We’re probably going to land soon. It might be a good idea to get up and grab a quick snack before we reach Heathrow,” he offers, unmoving.

“
All right,” I agree, not wanting to let him go. I fear the minute I do, all the grief will flood back into me like a tidal wave.

I begin to sit up
but he draws me back to him. I look down at his face, questioning him, leaning on one elbow as the other hand lays on his chest over the protector tattoo. I watch his chest rise as he draws in a sharp breath at my touch. His face darkens with something like want.

“
Wait,” he rasps through a tight jaw, peering up at me from beneath thick lashes.  

My eyes scan his
with a shared longing and I part my lips as the butterflies in my stomach take flight with anticipation. Asher sits up, moving his seductive lips closer to mine.

“Eve
.” My name softly rolls off his tongue, like a prayer, causing my entire body to flood with need. Gentle hands cup my face as his lips brush across mine in a tease. Once. Twice. On the third touch, they firmly press into mine, devouring me.

W
ith every stroke, I cling tighter to Asher’s shirt for support. Each caress of his lips causes my blood to rush, filling me with a burning desire, making me feel whole. God, I’ve never wanted anyone more than him. It’s like my soul already knows it’s his.

I
let out a soft moan at the kiss. The need to be closer to one another overpowers us as he sits up completely, pulling me onto his lap so I’m straddling his legs. My hands move little by little, under his shirt, feeling his warm skin. He growls at my touch. Asher’s thumbs rub the small slit of skin that shows between my shirt and pants as our kiss becomes even more fervent.

It’s as if we’ve
become one another’s oxygen. He tightens his grip on my hips, pulling me closer to him so our stomachs are touching. My body is about to convulse from the zealous emotions running through me because the bond is heightening the sensations.

Just as I
’m about to pass out from lack of oxygen during our frenzied kiss, Asher slowly pulls away, resting his forehead on mine as we catch our breaths. “I think…that will...hold me over…for a while,” he pants out with his breath. “You?”

I shift on his lap and nod once
. It’s all I can manage. Truthfully, I’ll never get enough of Asher. I’ll always want more. I swallow hard, pushing down the disappointment that he stopped when he did, and I focus on inhaling.

He looks at me apologetically
as if he’s reading my mind. “If I don’t stop now, I won’t.”

I tip
my chin up, watching as he absentmindedly plays with a strand of my hair before leaning over and placing a small kiss on the tip of my nose.

“Your eyes are glow
ing again.” I smile.

“
That would be your fault, siren,” he offers seductively. His line of vision flickers to my lips.

“
Don’t look at me like that or we will never leave this room.” I whine and purposely shift again on his lap, causing a delicious friction between our bodies.

He closes his eyes and moans. “I’m in so much trouble.
You play dirty. It’s all I can do not to throw you down and take you right now.”

My eyes widen in surprise. “Asher St. Michael, are you saying my virtue isn’t safe near you?”

He looks at me with dark, hooded lids. “Miss Collins, your virtue is the ONLY thing that isn’t safe around me.”

I offer a sly smirk. “Then I better guard it with my life.”
I begin to move off his lap.

He
releases a raw, throaty sound and holds me in place. “Don’t you dare. It’s mine, just not today.”

Asher watches my reaction for a moment before grabbing
my hips and lifting me off. He gently places me next to him before planting the softest kiss to my swollen lips. “We should meet with the clan. See what the plans are for when we land.”

“Okay
,” I reply with a sad smile.

He just stares at me with
an odd expression on his face.

“What?”

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He brushes my lips one last time with his. I melt into the final kiss.

After
we each freshen up, we make our way back to the cabin area where the rest of the family is camped out, snacking and talking. I head over to the couch and sit next to Abby. She offers me a bright smile, along with a mug of dark chocolate hot cocoa and a bowl of mini marshmallows.

“Thanks
,” I mumble, nibbling on a marshmallow.

“Were you able to get some rest?”
she questions with concern laced in her voice.

“Yeah, a little
,” I offer, smiling.

“
Good.” She takes my hand and squeezes. “You’ve got some color back in your face.”

Heat rises to my cheeks,
knowing the color is from my kissing session with Asher and not the sleep. Of course, at that moment, Callan lifts his head and looks me over before smiling knowingly. My heart kicks against my rib cage, causing me to feel the way I did the time Callan caught Asher and I in the library, making out. Sensing my unease, Asher speaks up, changing topics.

“So what’s the plan?” Asher sits down
on the other side of me, with his thigh touching mine, sipping on his cocoa and digging his hand into the bowl of my marshmallows.
Why does he always do that?

He catches my
displeased glance and feigns innocence. “They taste better from your bowl.”

I roll my eyes
. Secretly, I love when he eats my food. Smiling like a goofball, I turn back to the group. Callan and Abby return my smile but Keegan and McKenna look between Asher and I with disapproval.

“We should be reaching Heathrow
shortly. I have an SUV in the hanger waiting for us. We’ll take it to La Gargouille Manor in Wiltshire,” Keegan answers.

“Wait, I thought the manor in Massachusetts was
named La Gargouille?” I ask, confused.

“Here we go again,” McKenna
huffs out.
Nice to see our relationship hasn’t evolved any over transatlantic waters.
I glare at her in annoyance.

“It is
, Eves. Our father named both his manors after the legendary dragon,” Callan explains, pulling my gaze away from McKenna to him. “The one in England is technically called La Gargouille Manor, Wiltshire.”

“
Got it.” I go to grab more marshmallows but my bowl is empty. I give a spiteful look to Asher. He bats his baby blues and presents me with a full bowl. I take it eagerly and turn so he can’t put his dirty mitts in it. His deep laugh causes my stomach muscles to clench.

“Is Michael planning to join us this evening or tomorrow?”
McKenna asks Keegan.

At the
archangel’s name, both Asher and I tense, reminded of our recent warning from Michael reiterating our platonic roles and forewarning us about the consequences of an inappropriate and intimate relationship.

“Tomorrow
. He wanted to let Eve get settled before he made an appearance,” Keegan replies.

“How far away is your home from the airport?” I
inquire in a quick subject switch.

“About
one hundred and seventy-four kilometers,” Keegan responds without looking at me.

My eyes dart to Abby
for help. “Um, I was brought up on the imperial system not the metric system. A little assistance for the American,” I tease.