16. Nixon

Chapter sixteen

Nixon

C onvincing my mom that I’m fine and she can leave takes longer than I’d like. After spending the evening with Arit, I’d completely forgotten about her threat to check in.

But eventually, my mother relents, telling me I’m to meet her for breakfast under penalty of another visit if I don’t, and leaves with my credit card in tow.

I make a quick stop in the kitchen for a glass of water, relieve myself in the bathroom, and am supremely disappointed when I find a note on my bed instead of Arit.

Had some business to take care of. Back soon. -A

Fuck. This man. I run a hand down my face, taking a moment to relive the last couple of hours.

I understand that Arit is not technically a man, but for all intents and purposes, aside from the fact that he’s older than humanity, ferries the souls of the dead to their resting places, and apparently feeds off the energy of the universe, he’s the being I will spend forever walking next to.

Not only is Arit thoughtful and compassionate, he’s attentive, intelligent, gorgeous, and an incredibly fast learner. After hearing his confession, that he’d never touched another living soul aside from me, knowing that obviously extends to anything even remotely intimate, I’m floored at how quickly he’d taken to kissing, like he was created just to please me.

And perhaps in some weird, supernatural way, he was.

He’s also my guardian angel.

Freaking out over learning of Arit’s watchful presence in my life was admittedly not my finest moment. But knowing now that a being like Arit exists at all, that there really are beings on earth whose sole purpose is to make sure our souls are looked after into our transition, is beyond comprehension.

Society at large would collapse if this knowledge was made public.

Which makes what I know even more significant. And will potentially change the shape of my future.

If reapers exist, if fae and vampires and angels exist, is it truly possible that more powerful forces are at work? Is there a being I could ask for help in keeping Arit? Granted, Arit will continue with his purpose into the future whether I’m there or not, but could I somehow bargain for the privilege to stay by his side? A deal with the devil, so to speak?

What would I have to give up to keep Arit?

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. I can only think of one thing I have to bargain with, and it’s the one thing Arit has been protecting my entire life.

Strong arms wind around my middle, startling me as Arit murmurs into my ear, “I can feel you thinking.” He presses a kiss to my temple.

Relaxing into his arms, I smirk. “That’s my line, buddy.” But I still twist my neck to press a kiss to his cheek. Arit squeezes me once more before letting me spin around to face him. “Everything okay?” I ask, looking up into his tranquil blue gaze. Arit looks serene and completely at ease.

“Yes. At the moment, everything is as it should be.” He leans down to press a kiss to my lips. “Sorry to leave you. Was your mother understanding?”

Huffing a breath, I say, “Well, she couldn’t deny that I looked fine. It took about ten minutes to convince her I was eating and that I had a plan to try to get more sleep. She’s demanded breakfast with me in the morning.”

Arit smiles, and it’s the same smile I saw the first morning we met when he was standing outside my apartment building. Only this time, when my knees threaten to give out, he pulls me close and kisses me. “Tell me about this plan of yours to get more sleep?”

I can feel a blush creeping in because my plan included lots and lots of orgasms and the tempting man currently holding me, but that’s putting a lot of eggs in one basket and all we’ve done so far is kiss. So instead of saying what I actually have in mind, I say, “Your arms around me every night and sleepy kisses when I wake up in the morning.”

Arit runs the backs of his fingers down my cheek. “Are you sure that was all you were thinking about?”

Now my blush comes in full force, and I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, shaking my head no.

“Hm. I didn’t think so. This blush is giving you away.” Gently, Arit uses his thumb to release my trapped lip, and when his lips capture mine, he uses his teeth to pull my lip into his own mouth.

I literally want to melt into him.

We kiss for what feels like hours, eventually moving to my bed, removing our shirts in the process. His skin against mine is stoking an insane inferno inside me. The cosmic buzz of his life force is doing amazing things to my cock as well. The way Arit uses his larger frame to blanket me is also one of my favorite turn-ons. As clumsy as I am, I love the feeling of a larger man protecting me with his body.

When our kisses eventually slow, we talk well into the early hours of the next morning. Arit asks about the portal, and I explain how I needed help finding him, about The Owner of The Magic Shop, and about the blood offering The Owner suggested would be enough to allow Fate to send me to my soul mate.

Arit is definitely intrigued. I can see his wheels turning as I explain about watching The Owner make my potion, what it felt like walking through the portal, and how I ended up on the floor outside his apartment door. I don’t mention my own plan to seek out The Owner again. My own hopes that he might have some information on how I can make a bargain with Fate are still too new to give voice to. But at some point, I hope Arit will listen when I explain my need to stay with him.

When conversation shifts and I ask whether he has other reaper friends, he explains about the roles—or designations—each reaper is assigned and how he ferries the souls of the pure. He talks about his friends, how other reapers have been coming into the city to see for themselves the one reaper who seems to have a mate, how solitary and nomadic the life of a reaper actually is, and how no one has ever heard of a reaper being granted the opportunity he seems to have been given.

For me, my own thoughts keep circling back to Fate and why we are being chosen—out of billions of people and thousands of reapers—if there isn’t something greater at work.

Sleep catches up with me eventually, and even though I know Arit has had to leave throughout the early morning, I can also tell each time he’s come back. Over the last twenty-four hours, I seem to have developed a sixth sense where Arit is concerned.

Unfortunately, my failed plan to get more sleep doesn’t escape my mother’s notice when I join her for a late breakfast the next morning. Arit is off being invisible somewhere, and despite him not having a cell phone, he’s told me he’ll be checking in regularly.

“You look worse than you did last night,” my mom says by way of greeting. She’s sipping a Bloody Mary, and her phone screen shows some gossip website she likes to follow.

“Thanks. I was hoping my boyfriend would put me to sleep with an amazing orgasm, but we just talked for hours instead.” I crack a huge yawn. “Still worth it though.” I flag down the waiter for a coffee.

My mom looks skeptical but also ready to pounce. “You didn’t mention a boyfriend last night.”

“That’s because he was in my room. I didn’t exactly want him to hear me talking about him without him being there.”

“Well, you could have had him join us, you know. It might have been nice to meet him. How long has this been going on?”

And I can’t hold back a laugh. Oh, mother. If only you knew.