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She desperately needed a good fuck and she had felt it for days. The moment she had stepped foot into the building swarming with angels, she was overcome with the urge to grab the next best guy by the arm and pull him into a closet, just to get some much needed release.
When Micah Domitus had shown interest in taking her out for dinner she had only thought about the business aspects of it, not about what it might lead to after they finished their meal. She had only thought of him as a governor, not the broad shouldered, handsome male he was under all the power and subordinates to his name.
That was until Hunt casually mentioned Micah's reputation in the bedroom and Bryce kind of regretted brushing his offer aside like that.
Even after they returned to the library at her workplace and she tried to cross examine Declan's account of Danika's whereabouts with her own, she didn't get the image of blond hair brushing her forehead and deep brown eyes seeking hers from inches away out of her head.
Hunt had mercifully deemed the rooftop more comfortable than down here, so she didn't need to feel embarrassed about the fantasies she was having or the lack of work she had got done until now.
After that spectacle earlier with Sandriel, she wasn't sure if Micah was out to reprimand her, if he simply wanted to check up on the progress of finding the killer, or if the sight of her breasts and hips in those tight clothes had awoken the I-want-to-fuck urge every male got when they saw her. Maybe all of the above.
What would sleeping with an archangel, with the governor of all things, entail? Would it be a one-night stand neither of them would ever bring up again? Or would it be a recurring thing if the fuck was good enough?
No use thinking about it, considering she had refused him and most likely ruined her chances of him ever asking her out again.
She sighed dramatically, drowning in self-pity that was only acceptable when she was alone and no one watched her embarrass herself.
Bryce didn't seek love, a relationship or any kind of feelings attached. No, what she wanted, needed even, was to let herself go during sex good enough to make her forget who she was and what kept her from falling asleep at night. The reason she needed a scented air freshener at work or sphinx as a pet to keep her from feeling too lonely at home.
She needed to give away the control and fall into the bliss of arousal. Thinking back, she knew by the way he had firmly gripped her shoulder and carried himself with an unmistakable confidence that Micah could give her exactly what she needed.
Now all that was left to get what she wanted was a way to get to the archangel and if possible get on his good side in the meantime.
How truly fortunate that she had his most trusted assassin 24/7 at her side.
When Bryce and Hunt reached her apartment she had successfully hatched the perfect plan and was ready to take action.
"Wait, I almost forgot. I need to make a call, can you give me your phone for a sec?" She held out her hand as they entered the quartz building, the receptionist shooting them a dissatisfied glance he didn't even try to hide.
She still hadn't bought a new phone since her old one was destroyed during the attack in the club, so the lie was believable enough.
Hunt raised one brow, unimpressed by her cockiness. "You have a phone in your apartment, I'm sure you can wait another minute."
They continued their way up the stairs, Bryce keenly aware of the timing she had to keep in mind for her plan to work. "I'm telling you it's urgent. Declan told me to call him after work to discuss everything that happened the days before the attack." Danika and the pack's attack. She didn't have the guts to call it anything but the attack. "But I forgot and he is on patrol in like…" She pointedly held up her bare wrist and pretended to read an invisible watch for the time. "Five minutes. Every second counts."
They entered her floor, making their way over to her door.
When Bryce made a grabbing motion with her hand held out, Hunt rolled his eyes and almost slapped his phone into her palm, too tired from the messy day to argue much longer.
She pretended to type in Declan's phone number, which she didn't know and instead mashed up random numbers, and stopped in front of her apartment. "You wait here, I don't want to be eavesdropped on."
The entire apartment had all kinds of protection wards on it, including a barrier sound couldn't travel through.
"And have you sneak away to Hel knows where? No thank you."
"Where do you think I can sneak out off?" She smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes, looking like venom would shoot out at him every second now. "The windows up here on the tenth floor? The non-existent chimney? Sit you overprotective, alpha-ass down in front of the door and watch it or whatever."
Hunt gave her a once-over. Not the kind people did when she wore revealing clothes, but rather the kind a parent did to a child before letting it out to play, making sure it was dressed appropriately for the weather and everything would be fine. He sighed. "Fine." Then added a murmured: "Then why even use my phone, you're literally two steps away from the apartment-phone."
She unlocked the door, ushered inside and promptly slammed it before he could change his mind and follow her. Bryce also locked the door, which was all but unnecessary considering the wards keeping him from entering, but she did it gladly to spite him.
At the same time she searched for Micah's name in his contacts. She had seen his name light up on Hunt's phone a number of times now, which is why she was so confident in her plan.
Looking at his rank and number of coworkers, he had surprisingly few contacts saved, which was kind of fitting for him but depressing all the same. Nonetheless it made her life a little easier and she found the name quickly.
She hesitated before pressing the call button and objectively thought about what she was about to do. Then she thought 'fuck it' and called.
It rang multiple times before a familiar but yet so strange voice answered with a simple "What is it?"
Bryce may have come up with the ultimate plan to get to this point, but she hadn't thought about what to do afterwards. Stupid, in hindsight.
"Hey, it's me, your everyday citizen tasked with solving a demonic serial murder. How's it going?" Oh gods this was awful. The nerves had taken over and resulted in an incredibly awkward greeting. If an archangel had one dislike, it was satire at their expense.
It was silent for a long time, long enough for her to think Micah was on his way to personally get rid of her.
"Bryce Quinlan. What is it?"
Wow, so she got the exact same greeting he gave Hunt. That really made her feel special… "Well, I think I was a bit hasty earlier. When I refused your invitation."
Another pause. "I think you made your decision very clear in front of everyone."
Oh, she had pissed him off. Even the calm in his voice wasn't enough to make her believe he was anything but angry at her.
She winced. "I apologize, I wasn't thinking clearly with everything going on." She dared to ask: "How about we do that dinner and I report everything we figured out so far?"
"Oh, Miss Quinlan," she heard him sigh on the other end, but it resembled a breathy smile rather than annoyance. "You are an interesting woman. And with no regard for your safety, it seems."
Bryce's heart skipped a beat at the threat, the warning to watch her manners around him. This time it was her who stayed silent.
He suddenly gave her the address to a restaurant she knew all too well. She had never been there because it was one of, if not the most expensive restaurant in the city.
"I'll be waiting in an hour." His tone was all business again, just like when he first answered the phone.
Now her heart skipped another beat, only this time out of excitement. She found her voice again. "About Athalar-"
"Leave it to me." He sounded like he was in the process of hanging up when he changed his mind and added: "Oh, and I trust you delete this call from his history."
Without another word or waiting for a response he hung up and sent Bryce into a frenzy. She only had an hour and too much to do.
After deleting the call history she unlocked the door and let Hunt in, handing him the phone.
He looked at her suspiciously, as if sensing something was amiss in her story. "So?"
"So nothing. No new info." She leisurely strolled to her room, despite her need to rush. Sphinx hopped between her feet and she made a mental note to feed him before she would leave.
Hunt opened his mouth to say whatever bullshit best fit his mood, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. She watched him pick it up and his face darkened.
"Yes…Yes…Of course." He hung up. "I need to go. Work," he told her.
So that was how Micah's 'leave it to me' looked like. Sending Hunt on a job, most likely to do what he did best.
Bryce nodded, feigning boredom. "Ok. Good luck."
Athalar didn't waste time. With a last "Don't go anywhere. Go to bed." He left the apartment. Well, that was easy.
A minute later Bryce took a shower, taking extra care of her body, before standing in front of her dresser and searching for a fitting outfit.
She went for a classy but sexy look. A skin-tight black dress ending just beneath her ass and pushing her breasts to look their best, and glossy black heels anyone else would break their ankles in.
After adding makeup, perfume and light jewelry, she checked herself out in the mirror. If Micah didn't already want to fuck her, he would now.
After feeding Sphinx and scratching his head as goodbye, she left and jumped on her motorcycle, the dress awkwardly riding up her thighs and exposing more than she intended.
But time was pressing, one didn't simply make an archangel wait, so she started the engine with a mechanical roar and drove into the late evening air.
On her drive she considered the moral aspects of this little date. Had she betrayed Hunt? Yes, multiple times today alone. But then again, she also saved him in front of Sandriel and he was the one who betrayed her first, suspecting her of being the killer after her best friends had been slaughtered.
Athalar didn't need to know about her little escapade with his boss. And if he didn't know, it wouldn't be a problem.
She parked in front of the restaurant, fancy golden letters screaming at her from over the door, pulled her dress into a proper fit and combed her hair with her fingers.
It surprised her to see the lack of cars and voices in the area. It was quiet. Was the restaurant closed? Did Micah set her up?
No, she realized when the double doors opened, revealing two suited employees pushing them open from the inside. That's what she called good customer service. Maybe she could get Hunt to open the doors for her everywhere she went.
Wide-eyed she entered the extravagant restaurant and was promptly greeted by a handsome face and blindingly white wings. Micah looked like he got up to greet her halfway between the door and their table. The only table in the entire room that is.
The shining floor was empty except for one table and two chairs in the middle of the room, no one besides the two employees who now rushed to the back to be seen. Oh Hel, he had spontaneously rented the entire restaurant out for them.
"Miss Quinlan," he greeted with a smooth smile and held one hand out to her.
She laid hers on top of it and let him guide her to the table. "Mister Domitus." Better to fake some manners now if she wanted this to go smoothly.
He pushed her chair closer to the table when she sat down, nothing of the slave owner to be seen behind the gentleman-facade. The soft red cushion caressed her figure and made her sink into the chair like a bed.
"I'm delighted you agreed to my invitation, but why the sudden change of mind?" The chair facing her was a special one, made for angels to accommodate their wings but supporting the lower back. Micah sat down elegantly, elbows on the table and leaning forward with his chin on his interwoven fingers. Blond hair framed his face like the frame of a portrait.
"Let's just say I found appreciation for the offer in retrospect. When I was thinking straight again." When Hunt told her Micah was good in bed. "Considering the time, it's pretty empty here." A nudge for him to explain why he had felt the need to be extra and rent out the whole building at prime time.
His eyes narrowed slightly, the smile never leaving his plump lips. "I like privacy when having my dinner. Especially if it's with a beautiful woman."
Bryce hid the self-serving grin forming on her face. "Don't be a Prince Charming, I hear things like that everytime I leave the house."
"Is that supposed to make me jealous? Or are you boosting your own ego?"
The remains of her grin slipped off her face and Micah's eyes focused on her like a hawk watching his prey.
"You do that a lot, you know. Using your ego to make yourself feel bigger than you are. Are you that afraid?"
Too stunned to speak she just stared at him, shaking her head almost unnoticeably. This quickly changed into something she didn't expect. She had expected them to flirt and dance around the subject, polite but at the same time on the same page of what would happen, as if she was just another female he wanted to get into bed with. She didn't expect Micah to be that analytical on a personal level.
Bryce blinked and broke through her surprise. "Why would I be afraid?" She was genuinely curious about his answer.
He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "In this situation; because I am everything you are not and you don't know how to act."
His arrogance made her forget the manners she just found a minute earlier. "You're self-important if anything."
"And that right there is the only thing we have in common." His wings, which he held tightly tucked in, twitched in amusement. She was surprised he didn't reprimand her for her disrespect yet.
She heard a noise from behind and turned in time to see the backdoor open. A silver cart full of plates piled with all sorts of food came wheeled out by the chef, if the white hat was any indication, followed by a second and third cart pushed by the employees who had opened the doors earlier.
He had really done it now. Did this man not have any restraint? Just because he was able to buy the entire menu didn't mean he had to do it. She wasn't even sure if he did it to impress her or if that's simply what he always did.
"I didn't want to assume your tastes, so I went ahead and gave you a choice," he explained, straightening to get a good look at the food that was being parked at both sides of the table. The three people silently lined up a few steps away, arms behind their backs.
She had no clue how they managed to make all this food in an hour, but Micah's reservation was priority enough to get it done no matter what, so it wasn't a surprise.
A stunned 'wow' was all she could muster up. Her eyes roamed over roasted meat to salads, pasta, soups, even pizza as she took in everything around her. The smell alone made her mouth water and regret that she only had one stomach which she could fill with all the deliciousness surrounding her.
Micah chuckled, the sound like honey to the ears. "Does this also happen every time you leave your house?"
He nonchalantly picked up a plate of meat and a side of fried vegetables, waiting for her to choose before starting the meal.
"Every other day or so," she answered absentmindedly and grabbed a bowl of what looked like a fried mix of potatoes, tofu, veggies and thick broth topped with scraps of carrots and herbs. She almost started drooling when the steam hit her nose.
She would most likely never get the chance to eat here again, let alone have everything on the menu free at her disposal, so she had to savor it and eat as much as possible, but at the same time she noticed how unforgiving her dress was and her spirit dampened just a tiny bit.
And yet he and his hawk eyes noticed. "Eat as much as you want. I don't like for you to miss out on delicious food because of insecurity."
"I'm neither afraid nor insecure," she said firmly, holding eye contact to undermine the gravity of her statement. "And I don't like men telling me what to do."
"Pardon the overstepping, Quinlan." For a moment he tipped his head and held up his hands in surrender
When she picked up the freshly polished cutlery, Micah mirrored her and said: "Bon appetit."
They dug in and the three people standing at the side politely left.
To be honest, Bryce didn't expect the governor to be that playful. He still radiated the usual confidence and superiority everybody knew him with, but he was less…sinister than his image promised. Well, that didn't necessarily mean he was a good person, but at least right now he acted like a pompous ass at worst.
When she put the spoon in her mouth, she couldn't keep a satisfied moan from slipping out. Realizing what she did she quickly looked up and saw Micah raising an eyebrow in amusement but keeping quiet, too busy chewing.
Before they could come up with conversation, the chef came back, wheeling in yet another cart. Luckily it was empty except for two glasses, a bucket of ice and the wine bottle being chilled in it.
When he reached the table he cleared his throat, notably nervous. "The wine you ordered." He held the bottle up with two hands, presenting the label and listing all kinds of information she thought to be highly irrelevant.
Micah nodded without much acknowledgement and gestured to pour it already.
The chef pulled out a white towel and corkscrew from his belt so quickly it almost looked like a flinch, before skillfully opening the bottle and presenting the cork. When all he got was a pitiful glance from Bryce, he poured the deep red liquid and put their glasses in front of them, first Micah's then hers.
She refrained from telling him she was abstinent since what happened years ago because she already pressed it with her attitude and the wine was too expensive for her to decline it.
He thanked the chef, his signal to leave, and waited until he vanished behind the backdoor.
"I assume the food pleases your refined palette?"
She ignores the obvious slap in the face, making her prior insult about him being arrogant even. "It's delightful, yes. Do you come here often?"
The usual dinner-date smalltalk, and yet she wasn't exactly uninterested.
He took a sip of the wine, his throat bobbing lightly when he swallowed. "From time to time. I prefer it over hiring a private chef at my residence."
"Why is that?" Even though they just started eating she was about halfway done with her bowl, it was that good.
He shrugged slightly, wings bobbing with the movement. Bryce had never noticed that detail about angels, not even with Hunt. "Would you enjoy having a stranger in your kitchen 24/7 and being able to walk around your house like he owns it?"
"No," she agreed, understanding his preference of eating out. "But you described exactly how it feels to have a brute assigned as your bodyguard and living with you." It was her time to throw a jab at him.
He chuckled while chewing, politeness keeping him from answering with a full mouth. "I never assigned Athalar to live with you."
No, the Autumn King had. But it was hardly Micah's business to know about that. "You set the situation up."
It was only now that she remembered that Hunt was busy assassinating and torturing while her and his boss had a luxurious dinner. Fucked up in some ways, but not her responsibility in others. That was his job, after all.
Suddenly he went still the way only the fae could and a wicked grin found its way on his lips, nothing like the charming smile he had shown her until now. "Are you opposing the order I gave you two?"
For a second she honestly questioned her decision of doing this and her sanity for acting like a brat in front of the guy the entire city feared like shaking leaves in the wind. Until she noticed he was testing her.
It was hard to spot the difference between him threatening her with rank and him trying to scare her for the thrill of it. She didn't know him well enough to tell by his expression how he was feeling, but when she desperately searched his face for answers, she saw the tiniest glint of humor in his eyes. He got off on this. Of scaring her when he knew she was afraid of him.
Oh, she had been wrong. He was as villainous as he was charming.
Mentally steeling herself, she entered the ring. "I'm questioning if that order was really necessary or if you were just an overprotective asshole."
For a few seconds he was like a statue, still and menacing, but then his wings twitched and opened a few inches before retracting even tighter than before. What she would give to know about angel's body language right now.
"Oh, Quinlan." He laughed. Bryce wasn't sure she had ever heard Micah Domitus openly laugh like that. And she never gave it much thought, but if she would have had any expectations, it wasn't this.
Micah's laugh wasn't especially loud or booming like an arrogant politician's in his position might be, and it wasn't too self-serving or overly long or unnaturally deep. No, Micah's laugh was pure honey. It was private, something only shared between two people and he didn't try to hide his youthful delight, while at the same time keeping his charming demeanor. It was a glance into the heaven angels had come down from.
"You amaze me," he said with crinkly brows and at that moment he looked like someone else. He had put down his facade of power and authority, he was just a guy having a good time. Bryce wondered if it was just another tactic he used to get females into bed with him or if she had really made him show a glimpse of his true self to her by accident.
She was glad her bowl was empty and she had the excuse of picking out her next meal to stay silent.
He shook his head in disbelief of her attitude and took another sip of the wine.
When she placed a small plate of grilled meat skewers and another plate of some kind of cheesy casserole in front of herself, she changed the topic, the thrill of that moment too much even for her. "So, about the investigation-"
"Don't," he cut her off after picking a little something that caught his eye off of one of the food carts. He was back to his former self. "I already know all the details. Part of Athalar's duty."
Then why was she even here? Well, she knew why she was here, and it wasn't to catch him up on the investigation. But why did he want to meet her? Was it really as simple as sex?
Years of experience had taught her to catch the slightest glance down her breasts or the hungry look people got in their eyes when the wanted to fuck her, and Micah definitely did those things with her in the past, but tonight he had controlled himself masterfully. Despite her huge cleavage laughing up at him, he kept looking at her face instead of below it. That wasn't the fuckboy behavior she knew.
After settling that thought, she realized what Micah had just told her. Hunt had yet again betrayed her. She hadn't been aware he ran to tell his boss every time she figured out something new. One more reason not to trust him.
She voiced her honest curiosity. "Then why did you invite me to dinner in the first place?l
"Because you can hardly decline someone like me. Despite proving me wrong earlier today."
Her rejection had irritated him, she knew that much. Maybe even chipped at his ego. But he hadn't answered her question.
Now she was getting arrogant after having seen him laugh at her calling him an asshole. "Asking a woman out in front of the entire government body isn't as attractive as you might think, just letting you know."
"Touché." His brown eyes met hers over the table. "But next time you reject me in front of other people will be the last time you have the liberty of free will."
There was his threshold. The line she was unable to overstep without losing her head. Or her freedom.
Despite that, she wouldn't act like a submissive little girl. "Why? Will there be another opportunity?
He hummed a short tune, which wasn't an answer at all.
Before she could ask, his eyes shifted to her untouched glass. "Do you not like wine?"
She cringed. "I don't drink alcohol."
His brows rose in surprise and he studied her for a moment. Like everyone else, he probably thought of her as the wild party girl who drank more alcohol than water and snorted whatever powder she could get her hands on. And a few years ago he would have been correct in that assumption, but not anymore. And she had no intention of changing people's opinion of her.
She made out curiosity in his face, then understanding and eventually he twisted his lips in disapproval. "You should have told me. Hold on."
A sudden wind brushed past her, caressing her cheek and throwing a few strands of her scarlet hair up in the process, before throwing open the door to the back and ringing a bell somewhere down the employees-only area.
It was strange to have an archangel's power brush up on her. Way out of her league and yet accepting of the fact that she was a half-breed, deeming her worthy of itself despite that fact. Some might call the gesture intimate.
"It's not that important," she brushed it off, trying to give that freaked out chef some mercy in not having Micah call for him, but he shook his head.
"I'd hate to make tonight uncomfortable for you."
Said chef rushed out to them and stopped at the table. "Yes, sir?"
Micah subtly nodded in her direction, wholly uninterested in making the interaction any less stressful for the poor male.
The chef turned. "Miss?"
To put it plainly, Bryce was impressed. She had expected the angel to ask her what she wanted to drink and then order for her. That's what every male did, alphahole behavior. Instead he left it to her. She appreciated the simple gesture.
Politely but not overly so, she asked: "Can I get a water with lime, please?"
He nodded and hurried back towards the door, emerging again after less than a minute and bringing her the lime water. He even added some crushed ice. Then he vanished as quickly as possible.
"That guy is gonna have a heart attack if he has to come out here one more time," she said while fixing the stray hair Micah's wind had pulled out from behind her back.
The plate of meat skewers was empty and she had almost finished the casserole when her stomach told her it was time to stop.
Micah was also done and had decided to lean back in his chair, arms lazily dropping down over his lap. "I can't imagine why he would be that stressed out." He drawled, well aware of the reason. "Maybe he should try some yoga to counteract the busy lifestyle nowadays."
Now it was Bryce's turn to laugh. "You're a yoga advocate? Now that's unexpected."
Micah smiled. "Why? Is it that difficult to imagine me having a hobby?"
She leaned back, one leg swung over the other and sipping her cold lime water. "If the hobby is yoga? Then yes." She doubted he was a yoga fan, he had probably never done yoga in all of his long life, but it would be a lie to say she wasn't intrigued by what kind of hobbies the governor had.
But she wasn't about to ask him. She was too afraid the answer would be connected to war strategies, slave business or something similarly messed up.
When Micah grabbed his own glass and downed the last of his wine, her eyes wandered up to the ceiling windows and the night sky behind them.
It had gotten late and she actually had fun. She came here with the intention of getting done with dinner as fast as possible to get to the fun part afterwards, but just having a meal together had been better than anything she had done in a long time.
"What are you thinking, Quinlan?"
Her attention snapped back to the male across from her, never stopping observing her. "I'm thinking about if you forgot my first name, since you've been calling me by my last name the entire time."
He leaned forward, arms folded on the table and voice hushed, private only for her ears to hear. "Would you like me to call you by your first name then? If anyone overheard, you can't pretend it's strictly business anymore. Are you okay with that?"
They couldn't pretend this was strictly business even if he only called her Quinlan. None of this was business and if anyone could see them right now, they would see that in the blink of an eye.
But his question was more than just asking what to call her. It was asking her if she wanted to leave it at dinner 'to discuss business' or if she wanted to make it more than that.
The edge of her lips tugged up and she mirrored his position, leaning in and reducing the distance between them harshly. "Say my name."
For the first time today his eyes filled with shadows and dipped to her mouth. "Bryce." His voice was sensual and low, almost a whisper. It was the most attractive way she had ever heard someone say her name.
Micah swallowed, hard, and removed himself from her, sitting up straight. "Athalar will be busy until morning."
She understood an invitation when she heard one. "Then I guess you have to personally make sure of my safety tonight."
"No one will so much as touch a hair on your body." He pulled a wallet out of his suit pocket, picked up a bunch of bills and placed them halfway under one of the empty plates. It was more than multiple months of the salary she got. "Except for me."
Heat went through her body like a wave, overly eager for him to fulfill his promise, but she had to be patient just a little longer.
"I hope that won't make it in the report." Since everything she did the past few days somehow made its way to Micah and his personal files about Bryce. At least that's how she felt.
Micah smiled charmingly. "Of course not. That's between you and me, baby."
She couldn't remember the last time someone had called her by a pet name in any other way than mocking. It made her skin all hot and itchy.
Abandoning the rest of her drink and the food they got up and he offered her his arm as they made their way outside. The air was cool against her skin, a welcome relief for the stuffy feeling she got after everything she ate.
Bryce felt his muscles shift underneath his sleeve and she was extra mindful of the wing behind her back.
"You have two options. Driving or flying."
She looked up at him, only now realizing that he was a good bit taller than her. As tempting as it was to fly with him, she didn't feel up to fearing for her life in the middle of the night miles above the ground. "I'm gonna go with the drive."
His grin widened and by now she knew that expression all too well. "You're afraid again. Too bad I don't feel like driving right now."
Before she could protest or even let go of him, he scooped her up with one arm under her knees and the other on her back and shot up into the night sky like a race car down a highway.
She screamed and clung to the angel like her life depended on it, which it did, not caring if he got hurt in the process. Her arms automatically went around his shoulders and her hands interlocked behind his neck, but she didn't feel any of it. All she felt was adrenaline and terror.
Her head was burrowed somewhere between his chest and her own body, eyes pressed closed and even though she didn't notice it, her hair wildly blew in the wind, hitting Micah in the face until he altered their position enough to avoid being whipped by red hair and the smell of shampoo.
He steadied out after reaching enough height for no one below to recognize them anymore. "You can open your eyes. It's a smooth ride now."
Bryce felt the absence of the heavy rocking that had catapulted them up and up, instead being replaced by the soft movement of a ship on calm waters, but she refused. She shook her head and her fingers cramped from the strength she mustered up to not fall to her death.
"Come on, look at me or I might just drop you." His tone was playful, almost whiny, but his next move was anything but innocent.
Ever so slowly he lowered the arm holding her legs and every inch her legs dropped she held on tighter, lifting her hips and kicking her feet to somehow make him hold her up again.
When that didn't work and he was seconds away from dropping her legs entirely, only holding onto her upper body, she ripped open her eyes and looked at him with such horror and animalistic survival instincts that he nearly burst.
His face twisted as he looked down at her like she was his prey.
"I love it when you look at me like that," he whispered into her ear. His voice belonged to a stranger, high on something dangerous enough to make it illegal.
Then he let go.
Before she knew it her arms were pried open and she was in freefall, screaming her lungs out as she plummeted miles above the ground.
From the corner of her vision she saw great white wings above her and knew her life was about to end.
Wind as sharp as knives ripped at her, twisting her hair above her head, pushing against her flailing limbs and teasing tears out her eyes.
She was disoriented and her organs jumbled around inside of her body like loose parts. She wondered how much longer this would go on, she had been falling for so long she had to have reached the ground by now, but the lights beneath her were still nothing but tiny dots in the distance.
Then suddenly she wasn't falling anymore.
It took her a moment to realize that she was steady again, pressed against the warmth of another body, held tightly.
Her entire body was shaking violently, hard enough that she was unable to lift her arms and hold onto the angel carrying her in his arms.
"It's okay. It's over," he mumbled into her hair, all collected and calm again.
She had realized earlier that he got off on her fear, but it was far worse than she had thought. Micah enjoyed being feared and found pleasure in others' terror. Like a psychopath.
"I'm going to fucking kill you for this," she pressed out with her jaw clenched and forced herself to hold on with her arms. She fisted the fabric of his suit for good measure.
His wings bristled as he looked down at her. "I would definitely like to see you try. But let's reschedule that for next time, okay?"
There won't be a fucking next time if he acted like that, she thought to herself, but the thrill of there being a next time at all didn't leave her cold.
The next few minutes were actually quite peaceful. They flew in silence and he let her recover from the shock, holding on tight and keeping her even. At one point she even dared to look down to the city and watch the buildings and streets drift by like a miniature version of what she was so familiar with.
Every time his wings beat, a soft breeze blew against her and she opted to study them instead of the depths below for the rest of the flight.
The landing was rougher than the steady drift over the clouds, but it l wasn't as bad as when they had launched up earlier, now that she was somehow used to it. And Micah didn't try anything funny on her again, which she was grateful for.
He landed on the gravel path in front of a mansion and slowly lowered her until her feet touched the ground and her legs stopped shaking hard enough to make it look like she would collapse any second.
She kept one hand on his arm to steady her, just long enough for her vertigo to stop messing with her senses.
"So, you wanna come inside?"
He gave her one last out after the stunt he had pulled, one last chance to say 'no' and leave. When she raised a brow in suspicion, he added: "If not, I will have someone drive you home."
She kept staring.
"Driving in a car. I promise, Bryce."
The way his lips moved when he said her name made her melt all over again and she thought hard about how she would answer.
He betrayed her trust and nearly killed her for the fun of it, but at the same time he was charming, attractive, surprisingly well-behaved and less of an asshole than she had believed.
And to be completely honest, she liked the way he toyed with her. Maybe because no one else had ever been on an even playing field with her. Every male she came into contact with either looked at her like she was a goddess or treated her like he was the god she had to worship.
But not Micah. No, he let the power dynamic between them shift and bounce around. Showing her the control he held over her while also giving her the freedom to treat him like she desired.
She sighed. "Let's just get inside, I need to sit down. And I need a toilet."
He smiled like he meant it and guided her to the wide entrance doors. She had seen pictures of the estate before, it had won several prizes and was the most prestigious one in the whole city. It was like a modern day castle.
"Thank you for going along with me," he suddenly said, surprising her once again.
"I'm not that noble, I'm doing this for my own self-serving intentions," she answered quietly, all the energy she had until now sucked out of her from that flight.
He chuckled and agreed. "Aren't we all?"
The mansion looked even more luxurious on the inside. The only way Bryce could describe it was a museum. Everything was made of pricy materials like marble, quartz and gold, the decorations consisted of statues, old paintings and relics and the place looked more like a public display than a house someone lived in.
He pointed down a hallway to her left. "There's a bathroom on the right. Third door."
With a nod she let go of him and made her way down the hall, making a point of walking in strong, unfaltering steps and swinging her hips with each movement. It was petty, but she didn't care.
After locking herself in the bathroom, she placed both hands firmly on the rim of the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, but at least her makeup was okay, just a little smudged at the edges but that was to be expected after a few hours.
She tugged her dress into place and looked around the room, searching for a hair brush. There was a golden soap holder in form of a fish, gold ornaments and plant holders hanging from the ceiling, but no hair brush.
She opened the cabinets under the sink and rummaged through a bunch of towels, toilet paper and cleaning supplies, before reaching a hidden stash of necessities. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, perfumes and colognes, even skincare, and at long last hair brushes.
She didn't know why he needed all that, but she supposed it for moments like these. For guests.
She made herself presentable and freshened up, taking her sweet time. She also took off her heels, granting her feet a break after hours of wearing them.
With her shoes in hand, she unlocked the door and went to join up with the angel.
She saw him lying on his side on a low sofa, one arm propping his head up. He had taken off his suit jacket and opened the uppermost buttons of his thin white shirt, revealing the flawless skin underneath.
He was lazily eating small pastries laying on an equally low table, watching her come closer like a greek god watching a play.
Bryce had thought they would move straight to the sex once they got home, but it seemed like she was wrong. Not that she was complaining.
"You look great, by the way. Excuse me for not saying so earlier."
"I know," she simply said. "I always do."
He smiled "Naturally."
She sat down on the opposing sofa, the same model in the same white fabric, and stared angrily at the pastries, legs crossed and bare feet stretched out. She had eaten enough to feel like she would explode if she ate any more of anything at all. She didn't understand how Micah still had room for dessert.
When he noticed her stare, he grabbed another piece and sensually ate it in front of her eyes. Asshole.
"So, do you have any fancy rooms in here? Every mansion does," she asked to get the conversation rolling again, since he looked content to lay in silence and enjoy his dessert.
He nodded vaguely into the room. "This isn't fancy to you? Well, pardon the shabby lodging then."
She snorted. "I meant like hidden passageways in a library, a bar, a cinema, pool tables and things like that."
"You wanna play adventurer and find out?"
"What, you don't mind me snooping around?"
He shrugged. "Nothing to snoop into here."
After pondering the idea, she stood back up and confidently aimed for another hallway, one she hadn't been in yet. She was curious how the wealthiest person in the city lived after all.
"That's a dead end," he flatly stated.
She made a u-turn and acted like everything was going according to plan. She instead went down the opposite hallway, where she had found the bathroom.
Other than her own bare footsteps, another pair followed behind her in some distance.
After passing the bathroom door, she entered what looked like another lounging area, with numerous sofas, chairs, tables and plants. The floor was light, polished marble and the room was accented by dark wooden areas, but the main piece of the room was a big, round ceiling window, thin marble pillars connecting ground and ceiling to create a circular space occupied by a water fountain, water calmly running through it.
Talk about extravaganza while the rest of the city was falling apart.
She crossed the room and held a hand into the water curtain created by the fountain. It was cold. She moved her fingers and ripped holes into the curtain, amazed by the simple but efficient way to make a room more appealing.
"Any opinions?" A familiar voice suddenly asked behind her, making her spin around by catching her off guard. The marble rim of the fountain dug into the back of her thighs and she put her hands onto it to keep herself from falling in.
Micah was standing directly in front of her, close enough for her to smell his cologne, and oh Hel, he was tall. He had been tall earlier, but after removing her high heels, she felt like a child next to him.
She swallowed. "It's alright."
A soft laugh escaped him. "Of course." He leaned in, placing his hands next to hers on the fountain's edge and forcing her to lean backwards, back arching. If he wanted, he would be able to lean into her hips and press himself against her, but for some reason he refrained, not touching her at all.
"Don't lie to me," he said in a quiet, dangerous voice. "You think it's impressive, but you also think it's boastful. Don't you?"
Bryce, shocked by the sudden situation, could do nothing but nod.
"Cat got your tongue? Where's your temper now?" Micah leaned in closer. "You can't tell me this is enough to make you scared."
Bryce leaned farther back, avoiding him. He was doing this on purpose, agitating her, cornering her. He had accused her of pushing her ego to feel more powerful, but he was doing the same thing: boosting his ego in knowing how to push her buttons.
She narrowed her eyes and lifted her face until it was only inches away from his. "You think you're so smart, high and mighty angel, but you're just an arrogant-"
He fisted her hair and pulled, hard, snapping her head down and exposing her throat to him. She yelped, baring her teeth.
Micah followed her down, his breath hitting her face when he spoke. "That mouth of yours is full of sins. You're lucky I'm into that."
When his eyes left hers and slowly wandered down, she thought he would finally kiss her, but he didn't. Not really.
Instead he pulled on her hair tighter, arching her neck as far back as it could go and placed light kisses down the side of her throat.
Bryce let out a quiet moan when warm lips met the sensitive parts of her skin and slowly trailed a path to her collar bones.
But he didn't grant her anything past that. With his mouth still on her skin he murmured: "Want to see something fun?"
She wanted to nod, but she was unable to move. So she simply answered: "Yes."
He let go, her hair twirling down and tickling her bare back as he turned and walked away, unbothered by the whole ordeal.
When she muttered a short "Hel" under her breath, the tip of one of his wings softly swatted her and she was inclined to voice another curse.
The fact that he deemed her worthy of touching his wings was a whole other situation to lose her mind over. But that had to wait until later. For now, she followed him.
They had taken a stairway down and in passing Micah had actually shown her his personal library, but the destination was somewhere else.
Micah led her through a big arch in the wall, flipped a switch, and suddenly Bryce found herself in front of a casino in his basement.
Colorful LEDs lit up in the modern-patterned ceiling and low music started playing through the spacious area. Tables of all sorts of gambling filled the floor, ranging from poker to pool, air hockey, roulette and table tennis.
Her mouth dropped open as she entered the casino, looking around in awe.
Retro arcade machines lined the walls and blinked and beeped away, filling the area with the usual noise associated with casinos. How did he even get his hands on those?
A long bar to her right caught her attention and she gravitated to it as if it were a magnet. Oh how she would have adored it years back. All the bottles filling the back like puzzle pieces, the dark wood of the work area, the bar stools, the way she could picture customers leaning against it and bartenders making drinks while entertaining the crowd…
It was a piece of home she would never return to.
Resuming her tour she noticed a stage in the back and smaller stages with strippoles on them surrounding it.
With a smirk and one brow raised she turned, finding Micah leaning against a green carpeted pool table, arms crossed and watching her.
"What?" He asked innocently, playing the pure hearted angel.
"So that's what you do in your free time," she said conspicuously and turned back around.
Micah chuckled. "It's for a new form of yoga. You haven't heard?"
She could clearly picture herself back in the day, filling herself up at the bar, snorting the newest powder being sold in the streets and claiming one of those poles for herself, attracting the attention of everyone around her.
She went deeper and deeper into the casino until she reached two arches in the walls. The one to her left led to a brightly illuminated bowling alley with enough lanes to accommodate her entire apartment building back home.
The one to her right was covered by heavy, wine red curtains, masking whatever was behind from view. She came closer and took a peek inside.
The floor and walls were covered in black tiles, while the ceiling was made to mimic the night sky, dark colored and speckled with tiny lights, enough to be recognizable as stars but not bright enough to light up the room.
A number of whirlpools in different shapes and sizes filled the space, some of them made for one person, other big enough for a whole group, all of them already filled with water, glowing with red LED lights and radiating an atmosphere that made it clear what they were used for.
Tall arms grabbed the curtains from behind her and held them open, willing her inside. "You gravitate towards water, huh? Interested?"
"Maybe." She walked in and a wave of hot, humid air hit her. "Can angels even get their wings wet?"
"As much as females want to get their hair wet."
She rolled her eyes at the comparison, but it made sense to her.
She stalked along the tubs, running her hand through some of them to test the temperature. "How often do you come down here? I didn't take you for an entertainment fan. Not of that sort, at least." She had rather pictured him enjoying his evenings in a personal torture chamber than…all of this.
"From time to time. Even someone like me enjoys having a little fun sometimes." He came to a halt next to her, standing in front of a hot tub big enough to fit an elephant lying down. There would be no cramming down here, of that the architects and designers had made sure. "How about it?"
Bryce had waited long enough and endured enough of his slow torture and sadistic toying. She wanted him, now.
Ever so slowly she bent over, making sure he got a good look at her, and lifted the edge of her dress up over her hips, revealing her red lingerie panties. She lifted it higher and higher, eventually revealing her matching bra, a particularly revealing one, and pulled the dress over head, red hair falling down her back as she tossed it to the ground.
She flicked her eyes and watched him from underneath her lashes. "What, are you just gonna stare, or are you joining me?"
"Oh, I'd enjoy just watching." To support his claim, he sat down on the edge of the tub and crossed one leg over his knee. He was serious.
For a second Bryce's confidence faltered, embarrassment creeping up inside of her, but she swallowed it back down. She was better than that. She had done this a thousand times and felt good doing it. There was no reason to be nervous now.
She shrugged with faked indifference and started undressing. First she let her panties slip down her thighs and fall to the ground, his eyes catching her every movement and hungrily taking in every inch of skin she revealed to him.
Next she turned around, showing him her bare ass as she reached behind her back and undid her bra. It hung openly on her front before she grabbed the loose straps still on her shoulders and pulled it off entirely.
She turned to face him, her naked body on full display.
His eyes roamed over her, not knowing where to look next, not getting enough of it, starved and finally finding a meal.
"That body of yours should be illegal."
"You're the one in charge of the law," she drawled and creeped closer, hips swinging. "Do something about it."
She stood directly in front of him, finally the one looking down instead of up, and extended a hand, placing it on his bare chest through the opened buttons of his shirt.
Then she gave it one strong push.
His body reeled backwards into the hot water and he tried to grab her wrist to pull her with him, but she had anticipated his move and stepped away before he reached her.
His wings hit the water first, then his upper body and head followed and finally his legs too. Only his feet dangled on the edge, remaining dry.
When he emerged with a shocked breath and pierced her through narrowed eyes, she almost considered running and letting him chase her, but the thought of running entirely nude through his basement was less appealing than it sounded.
"Bryce Quinlan," he threatened, pushing his body up and pulling himself back to the edge with his legs before getting out and up, standing before her drenched and pissed off. "You are one wonderfully wicked woman."
A cruel smile graced his lips and he immediately unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, simultaneously brushing off his shoes and kicking them aside.
While he undressed, Bryce jumped into the tub, splashing water everywhere, including onto Micah, and swam as far away from him as possible. The water heated her skin and embraced her like a lover as she put her arms over the edge and put her legs out in front of her, letting them hover in the water while she leaned back and relaxed while she still could.
Micah, his toned chest on full display, tossed his socks and pants away and finally pulled down his underwear, revealing everything of him. She swallowed.
He pressed a button on the outside of the tub and bubbles started bursting to the surface. He pressed a few times more and the intensity lowered, making it a comfortable vibration through the water instead of a boiling pot.
He got in and lowered himself into the water, wings drooping under the surface and flowing with the stream of the bubbles.
Like expected he creeped up on her. He grabbed her ankles and pulled, making her lose her balance in the water and let go of the tub. He pulled until her hips bounced against his torso, where he held her in place, thumbs digging into the soft flesh where hips met thighs.
"You have nerves, I will give you that." This time he didn't waste a second. He brushed her hair to one side and placed warm kisses on her collarbone, exactly where he had left on.
Bryce angled her head to give him space and put her arms around his neck, careful not to touch his wings and holding him close.
Everywhere his skin met hers sent electricity through her body, pooling between her legs and making her squirm, but his hips were lower than her own, not giving her the release she needed.
One of her hands found its way to the back of his head, massaging through thick blonde hair. "Did you expect anything else?"
He stopped just long enough to answer. "No. Or else I wouldn't have had interest in you." His lips grazed her breast and made a trail down to her nipple, which he playfully placed between his teeth and tugged.
She jerked forward, pulling lightly on his hair as her hips collided with him. She decided to pull harder, turning the tables and doing to him what he had done to her at the fountain. He was forced to look up at her and she leaned down. "Jerk."
She was about to place her lips on his when a hand slammed into her throat, making her choke out a strangled noise and pushing her under water, her back hitting the floor.
Her vision went blurry through the water and she clawed at the iron grip keeping her down, but he didn't budge. Her lungs screamed for air.
His other hand collected both of her wrists and pinned them over her head with ease.
She kicked her legs, tried to wiggle out, get to the surface and breathe, but he was like a statue, unmoving no matter how much she struggled.
He followed her under and bit into her other nipple, before kissing the area surrounding it as if to apologize.
Her air ran out, but she knew she would only be able to breathe if he allowed it, so she stopped moving to conserve the oxygen in her blood while she prayed.
His lips left her body before she heard him break the surface and she thought he was done, but then his face was in front of hers and their lips collided.
It wasn't gentle. It was demanding. Controlling. Somehow his tongue found its way into her mouth and she parried, giving what he demanded. They moved in sync, despite Bryce's consciousness turning on autopilot at some point.
Just when her vision darkened and she thought he would let her lose consciousness entirely did his hands slip off of her and pulled her up to the surface.
She gulped down heavy breaths, supporting herself on his body to focus solely on breathing.
"Don't think you can control me just because I'm holding you on a loose leash," he warned and found her lips again.
Fortunately for her, he was softer this time, kissing her lightly to give her time to breathe in-between.
He tasted of sugar, she noticed once oxygen found its way back into her brain and could think straight again.
Her hands wandered to his chest, feeling his muscles shift with every little movement.
He finally brought some space between them and brushed stray hair out of her face and behind her back, a courtesy that felt oddly endearing.
She muttered a 'fucking Hel' under her breath as she processed what just happened. She had felt like dying, still felt the terror of being at his mercy, but at the same time something about it was exhilarating.
Maybe the rush of adrenaline and hormones, maybe the feeling of someone watching your every need, your limits. Pushing them, but not overdoing it.
It was impossible for her to place a finger on it at the moment, but it motivated her to keep going.
"You're like a rollercoaster," she said before realizing how absurd that sounded. She blamed it on the lack of oxygen.
Micah was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing, splashing her with water as he bent over. "I've never heard something like that before," he pressed out between laughter. "Especially after almost drowning someone."
He wiped at his eyes, trying to calm down but failing.
"Oh, shut up," she splashed him back before diving under the surface, crossing the distance between them with one stroke and placing her hands on his lean abdomen as she came up, face inches from his.
Tears of laughter lined his eyes as she reunited their lips into a soft kiss. While their tongues intermingled and practiced a private rhythm shared between the two individuals, his hands roamed over her, really exploring her for the first time. The shape of her breasts, her waist, down her hips and the smooth curve of her thighs.
He playfully squeezed her ass, earning a high noise muzzled in-between their lips.
Bryce on the other hand let her hands wander further down his abdomen until they reached his length, hard and ready for her.
"Oh no, baby," he interrupted softly, grabbing her hands and placing them back on his chest. "Now that I've finally got you all to myself, I don't want your hands. I want your body."
Bryce smiled. Good, they were on the same page then.
Between the tingling between her legs and her foggy head, she remembered an annoying but crucial precaution. "I'm on birth control, by the way."
"Don't worry." One of his hands snaked from her butt to her hip and down the crease between her thighs and most sensitive area. "Me too."
Bryce slung her arms around his neck and lifted herself up, just enough to bounce a little and rub against his cock, not only teasing him but also trying to get herself relief.
The angel snickered and circled his thumb over her swollen clit while pressing the base of his hand against her abdomen. A heavenly sensation, she thought.
Bryce let out an airy curse, resting her face against the crook of his neck as she lifted her legs and swung them around him, clinging to him like a child. He let his thumb roam down, teasing her entrance, dipping his finger inside just a bit before pulling out.
"You're so wet for me." He smiled, as if proud. Proud of her, she realized, not of himself.
He plunged his thumb inside of her and skillfully applied pressure from the inside, gently pressing against her flesh and exploring her tightness.
She subconsciously bounced up again, craving more, more of him. Now.
"Hurry up," she urged, shifting against him and feeling how his cock pulsated from arousal. He was suffering as much as she was.
"Awfully urgent, aren't you." But he complied and pulled out his finger. With his now free hand, the other one massaging her ass, he steadied his cock and positioned it at her entrance. "Do you want me that bad?"
He pumped it a few times, eyes becoming dark with pleasure.
"Yes," Bryce said firmly, but she couldn't hide the whine in her voice. "I need you inside of me, now."
"Beg."
This motherfucker, she thought. This narcissistic, arrogant fucker.
"Use that dirty mouth of yours and beg like a good girl."
She squirmed, basically vibrating with need and now frustration as well. "Fuck, please. Please." Bryce emphasized the plea. She didn't even need to fake the submission. "I need it so bad, please fuck me already."
Micah hummed softly, satisfied with her. "Well done, for someone with your attitude."
He pushed his hips up and she felt him slip inside. Immediately she had to force herself to keep quiet, as pain radiated through her. With every little bit that he pressed inside of her and stretched her out, a burning sensation ripped through her body, as if being ripped open from the inside.
Her breathing matched his, labored in the hot water and the heat of their bodies.
"Hold on-" she pleaded, but he shut her up with his mouth and worked his way deeper into her body.
Bryce felt fuller than she had ever before, like it was impossible for something that big to fit inside of her. And every moment she thought he was done, he kept going, deeper and deeper until she was sure he was poking her guts with his tip.
Heavily moaning, Bryce and Micah rocked in the water, gently up and down for him to fully settle inside and for her to adjust.
Finally, when she thought it would never stop, his hips fully pressed against hers and he calmly waited for her to be ready before going any further.
Silver lined her eyes as tears formed, mutually from arousal and the pressure inside of her.
Suddenly his fingers rubbed her clit, sending her head flying back with another moan at the same time that he started moving.
She exploded.
"You are heavenly, Bryce Quinlan." He was panting. "Are you sure you're not an angel yourself?"
She would have laughed at his remark, but she wasn't capable of speech or any kind of reaction.
He removed himself almost entirely before slamming back into her, rearranging her insides violently, water splashing between them.
His moans resonated with hers, producing a sensual melody of pleasure while he fucked her like an animal starved for weeks and finally getting to eat.
His wings rocked back and forth when he lost control over his body and he couldn't hold them tight anymore.
Bryce clawed her nails into his back, needing support, needing to somehow ground herself, but her body hung in the water, she was pounded heavily and sparks danced across her vision. There was no hope for her, so she let go.
She went rigid, bouncing up and down his cock in their private rhythm, lungs screaming from exhaustion and legs trembling. "Fuck." Her vocabulary had been reduced to that one word, since it was the only thing on her mind.
Micah's head was somehow clear enough to spread kisses around her face, kissing a single tear escaping her eyes away.
He leaned in close and whispered: "I want you to myself. Lock you up and display your pretty body on a stage for me to adore whenever I want."
Another heavy pound, sending their hips crashing together. "I'm gonna put a spell on you so only I can hear your beautiful voice."
"Micah!" Bryce was close and while she wanted this feeling to last forever, she also craved release, fearing that she would burn alive if it was kept from her any longer.
"Exactly like that. You screaming my name. Come for me, baby."
His tempo increased for the last few moments and her clit was on its limit of being overstimulated as a wave of heat and pleasure rushed through her, making her scream and tense her limbs so they became hard as stone.
Micah cursed as her pussy clenched around him and milked him dry. With every small but strong push he made, another round of cum shot into her until she was filled up to the brim and the sticky liquid oozed out of her and into the water.
Eventually their energy was spent and Bryce collapsed onto him, hanging over him like a limp doll, too exhausted to move.
Micah carried her through the water and sat her down on the edge of the tub, feet dangling in the water and leaking between her legs, before getting out himself.
With Bryce moaning something about needing help from whatever god would listen, he pressed another button on the tub and the water started emptying. Soon after it would clean itself and refill. Truly a masterpiece of a tub.
"I'm getting towels, wait a second," he announced, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable by sitting there naked, and went to a cabinet in the back of the room.
Bryce watched his back as he left shortly and almost laughed out loud when he shook his wings like a dog would shake itself after getting wet. Those wings would never be boring to her.
A minute later Bryce had cleaned herself up as best as possible and wrapped herself in the fuzzy towel.
Micah grabbed his dripping wet clothes, also covered in a towel, and threw her a sarcastic smile. His fault, really, for being an asshole. He deserved it.
"Any plans for now?" he asked, not really expecting much but asking nonetheless as he started towards the curtained arch in the wall.
After picking up her dress and underwear, Bryce followed on embarrassingly shaky legs. "I'm spent. What about you?"
He looked at a clock hanging just behind the bar. "Well, it's still a few hours until sunrise. I can take you home if you want." The angel looked over his shoulders, wing shifting to get him a clear view of Bryce. "But I would also enjoy for you to keep me company some more. Until you have to greet Athalar back at your place." His expression turned a bit sour at the last sentence.
Jealous alpha male…
But she had to admit, she was pretty tired. And getting to stay here longer sounded more comfortable than having to drive home right now. She sighed a whatever-sigh. "Sure. Show me your fanciest bedroom then."
"I'll show you my personal favorite."
In the end, they stopped in a bathroom on the second floor before getting to said bedroom.
Micah showed her a party trick of his, sending a strong breeze her way that quickly dried her hair so she wouldn't be uncomfortable in bed.
His own hair was practically dry just from the walk up here. He also ditched the clothes in his hands into a tall basket, ready to be cleaned, while Bryce kept hers. It would be awkward to return in Micah's clothes in the morning.
Finally ready to call it a day, he guided her to a room all the way down the hall.
"Let me know if it fits your high standards." He pushed the door open and let her go in first.
The first thing she noticed was the stark difference between this room and the rest of the mansion. Instead of the familiar smooth materials and light colors, this room was dark, no sign of marble, low sofas, plants or fancy structures.
A huge bed with black sheets and a thin, shadowy veil hanging from the upper posts stood to the left, facing the middle of the room. Just above the headboard hung an old painting, just as wide as the bed and reaching up to the ceiling, framed by heavy gold.
The crystal chandelier sparkled and reflected the moonlight through the room, hitting a vanity mirror to her right and casting long shadows over the floor.
The window covered almost an entire wall, granting her perfect view of the full moon and the city underneath them, far enough away to give a sense of belonging and superiority at the same time.
Thick, black carpet covered the artistic flooring and cushioned a footrest at the end of the bed.
Just like the black curtains, the walls were adorned by fancy patterns, making the room look older than the rest of the mansion.
Bryce closed her mouth when she noticed her jaw had dropped slightly at the sight. "It's amazing." She thought about redesigning her apartment to look like that, but it would probably cost more than she had ever had in her bank account.
"I'm glad." Micah brushed past her as he entered the room and went straight for the bed, utterly unimpressed with it all. Of course he would be, he lived here after all. It felt surreal to her.
But Bryce followed, acting like she belonged here and went around to the other side of the bed before dropping her towel and quickly slipping under the covers.
As Micah did the same and got in beside her, she was already in heaven. A second time today. The mattress was perfect, neither too hard nor too soft, and the sheets felt like a blanket of clouds hugging her body.
"Is this your usual choice of bedroom?" she asked, laying on her side and burying herself deep into sheets, watching him.
The angel lay on his other side, not only to face Bryce, but also because laying on his back made his wings get stiff. "In the beginning, it was. Nowadays I go with whichever is closest to where I am at the time."
"So you picked this one to impress me," she said with a smirk.
"I picked this one because you asked me to," he bluntly replied. Then, after a second he added: "Did it work, though?"
"Absolutely. I have to say, now I'm not even sure which one is better anymore. You or this-"
"Finish that sentence and I'll relocate us to a broom closet," Micah cut her off, but there was no power behind his threat. It was more of a habit, always threatening people because he knew he had the power to do so.
Bryce's grin widened. "-this house."
Micah poked his tongue in his cheek, smiling in disbelief, then his wing swatted her in the face. "You are unbelievable."
"Hey!" Bryce recoiled from the sudden attack, blanket shifting with her movement. "You can't just slap me with that whenever you feel like it."
"Sure I can. What are you going to do about it?" He raised a brow to challenge her. To test how much guts she really had.
Now Bryce was the frustrated one. She knew Micah was having her let her way with him and excused a lot of her behavior, but his wings…those might be off limits, even for her.
She narrowed her eyes. "Next time you do that I'm gonna rip some of those feathers out."
"That would be considered the highest form of federal crime. Are you brave enough to face the consequences?" He was just playing with her, but he was curious about her answer all the same.
Bryce shrugged her shoulders in faked indifference. "How bad can it be. I'd rather have a fast execution than fall from the sky or drown in a hot tub."
He laughed quietly. "Come on, those things are in the past. It's been hours since."
"Not even an hour, for one of them," she snorted
Bryce yawned, exhaustion of the day finally kicking in. But she had one last thing she had to know before the day ended. "Why did you ask me out in the first place? You said something about me having nerves."
He hummed his agreement, searching for the right explanation. "I may not act like it in public, but I love a woman who can look me in the eyes while insulting me and mean it. I think it's very attractive when someone fights me despite knowing how powerful I am. In private, at least."
Bryce's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"That's the only reason I'm tolerating your attitude, by the way. Because it's hot. When you called me an asshole for the first time in that restaurant, I wanted to fuck you then and there."
That was not what she had expected at all. That was so unlike the governor, who punished one wrong look his way with death and made sure everyone rebelling against him would feel the consequences.
"Plus, look at you. You are gorgeous, Bryce. But you hear that every time you leave the house, right?"
She answered his smile with a cool grin of her own. "Even when I don't." She perked up when she made a realization. "So you're saying you have a degradation kink?"
Micah looked at her with utter loss for a second, then sighed. "If it's you I'm degrading, then sure, yeah. But not the other way around."
When he saw her opening her mouth to retort something, he quickly changed the topic. "Why did you change your mind and accept the invite so suddenly?"
Bryce shut her mouth. She couldn't possibly admit that she did it because she was horny and Hunt had told her about Micah's skills in bed.
"I was bored." she said instead, knowing the excuse was thinly veiled, but too tired to think of anything better.
Micah felt inclined to hit her with his wing again. "That hurts on so many levels," he said sarcastically. "I told you not to lie to me. And I believed myself to be worth more than for you to kill your time on, but I guess not."
"I was horny, okay? Happy?" she murmured, already closing her eyes to answer the call of sleep.
"Still a weak reason, but with you in my bed, yes, I am."