Rousing slowly from one of the best nights’ sleep she could ever remember having, Charlie Morningstar lazily stretched her arms above her head and extended her legs toward the foot of the bed.
Her joints released a satisfying chorus of pops and cracks as ligaments slid over bone, the sound loud in the quiet stillness of the suite.
As she arched her back in a full-body stretch, the silk sheet that had been draped across her torso slipped down to pool at her waist.
Cool air kissed her exposed skin, and she blinked sleepily at seeing her naked breasts.
It took her a few moments to remember why she was naked instead of wearing her usual silk pajamas.
The memories drifted back slowly—soft lips against her neck, gentle hands sliding down her sides, breathy whispers in the darkness.
Once the full visuals of making love with Vaggie flooded back from just a few hours earlier, a delighted giggle bubbled up from Charlie’s chest.
Her cheeks flushed warm as she recalled the taste of Vaggie’s skin, the sound of her voice breaking with pleasure, the way her fingers had tangled desperately in Charlie’s hair.
In the early days of their relationship, Charlie had naturally assumed the dominant role.
The dynamic had evolved from Vaggie’s gentle but persistent insistence, delivered one night with that particular glint in her eye that always made Charlie’s pulse quicken.
“You don’t often wield your power in Hell, which I love about you,” Vaggie had told her, running her fingers through Charlie’s hair slowly.
“But I don’t want you getting lazy, my princess.” The words had been playful, teasing, but carried an underlying challenge that sparked something deep in Charlie’s core.
The tease had worked exactly as Vaggie intended.
Over the years that followed, Charlie made her girlfriend pay for that particular bit of prodding in so many pleasurable and deliciously painful ways.
She’d learned every sound Vaggie made, every place that made her gasp, every touch that made her tremble.
The dynamic between them had settled into something that worked beautifully—a careful balance of power and surrender that left them both breathless and satisfied.
But last night had been different.
Last night, after some initial kissing that had left Charlie’s lips tingling, Vaggie had pulled back suddenly.
She fell against the pillows, spread her legs in open invitation, and looked up at Charlie with eyes that burned with desire and command.
“Get to work, princess,” she’d said, her voice low and rough in a way that sent electric shivers racing down Charlie’s spine.
The tone of that command—the sheer authority in those four simple words—ignited Charlie’s demon blood like striking a match.
She felt the familiar shift as her features began to morph, her eyes bled to full crimson, and her horns started to emerge from her temples.
The partial transformation gave her exactly what she needed to obey Vaggie’s command with the voracious desire that was already burning through her veins.
Charlie’s tongue worked with precise attention, finding every sensitive spot and exploiting it without mercy.
Vaggie’s hands had fisted in her hair, pulling hard enough to sting—which made Charlie growl even more as she loved the pain—guiding her exactly where she needed to go.
The sounds Vaggie made—those desperate whimpers and broken moans that grew louder with each passing minute—drove Charlie to push harder, to draw out every ounce of pleasure she could possibly coax from her girlfriend’s trembling body.
Her eagerness and supernatural endurance enabled her to pull four powerful orgasms from Vaggie without coming up for air—much.
After the fourth one, which was much less intense and accompanied by a barely audible moan that spoke more to the sweet torture of overstimulation than pure pleasure, Vaggie felt her girlfriend slip from between her trembling legs.
Charlie then stood over her, and Vaggie looked up through hazy, satisfied eyes just in time to see her princess drop down with her knees planted on both sides of Vaggie’s head.
The shift in position was accompanied by a shift in power, and Vaggie hungrily licked her lips as Charlie settled into place and reclaimed her dominance.
Gripping Vaggie by the hair with firm fingers that sent pleasant tingles across her scalp, Charlie reminded her exactly who was master of this bed.
She rode Vaggie’s face with deliberate purpose, her hips moving in a rhythm that grew increasingly desperate as Vaggie’s talented tongue worked her closer and closer to the edge.
It only took the one orgasm—powerful and shaking—before exhaustion came roaring back with a vengeance of its own.
Charlie practically melted off Vaggie’s face and slid into her waiting arms, both of them breathing hard and trembling with the aftershocks.
They shared sticky kisses, murmuring soft words of love and affection in the darkness.
“I love you, Vaggie.” Charlie had whispered against Vaggie’s lips.
“I love you too, babe,” Vaggie had replied, her voice rough and wrecked in the best possible way.
Within minutes, they’d both surrendered to sleep, tangled together in the silken sheets.
Now, with those vivid images from last night dancing through her mind that sent a renewed surge of desire pooling low in her belly, Charlie rolled over toward where Vaggie should have been.
Her hand reached out to find warm skin, but met only cool sheets instead.
Right.
The bed was empty.
Charlie’s sleep-fogged mind caught up with reality as she remembered Vaggie mentioning she was going to talk to Kevin in the morning.
She must have gotten up early to catch him before he started his first official day as the hotel’s head of security.
Instead of feeling disappointed about missing out on a morning orgasm, Charlie decided to dedicate some proper time to cleaning up and making herself presentable.
She definitely needed a thorough shower after last night’s activities.
Then she’d head down for some much-needed breakfast.
After all, she was going to need all the energy she could possibly get for the night ahead when she’d have Kevin all to herself.
With a delighted giggle, Charlie slipped out of the bed and skipped—actually skipped—to the bathroom.
Delete
An hour before Charlie woke up, down one floor from the master suite, Kevin was roused from deep sleep by a soft knock at his door.
Despite his military training, he—like many others—disliked mornings.
Since there was no sense of immediate danger, which would have had him alert in seconds, sleep fog teased the edges of his senses as he lifted his head off the surprisingly soft pillow.
He blinked at the ceiling, then quickly focused on the alarm clock on the nightstand: 10 p.m.
Ten in the morning, Hell time.
I’m going to have to ask about the significance of the switch of a.m.
and p.m.
down here.
Shaking his head at the thought, he called out, “Yes?
Who is it?”
“It’s Vaggie.” The muffled yet distinctly gruff voice of the fallen angel floated through the door.
Considering he’d slept in his military uniform and had no other clothes in Hell to change into, he was about as decent as he could be in the wrinkled outfit.
He shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, flicked his fingers to disengage the locking mechanism, then called out, “Come in.”
The large wooden door swung inward with a soft click.
Vaggie stepped through, and Kevin blinked rapidly—he had not expected her to still be in her nightgown.
The sheer, silky white piece hugged her curves and draped down to below her hip lines, just above her knees.
It took less than a second for that image to burn itself into his brain before he averted his eyes quickly out of respect.
As he dragged his gaze around the outskirts of the room to avoid looking directly at her, he asked tentatively, “Uh, is everything okay?”
“I was right.” Her voice was unusually soft and tinted with an edge of humor.
“You really are a gentleman.”
Sitting still on the edge of the bed, eyes still fixed on anything but Vaggie, he shrugged and spoke lightly as if this were any normal occurrence.
“Well, I didn’t expect that for our first talk alone, you were going to walk boldly into my bedroom dressed so—”
He then turned, fixed his full gaze on Vaggie’s face, and said with a deliberate roughness in his tone: “Sexy.”
She paused and raised her eyebrows.
Her purple cheeks flushed warm.
“A gentleman, but not afraid to speak boldly, either, huh?”
“Just speaking honestly,” Kevin smiled softly.
“With respect, of course.”
She set her hand on her hip, gauging him with her single eye.
“And with the same honesty, I promise I didn’t come here to tease you.
I overslept.” And it was so worth it.
“But I wanted to talk to you.
Alone.
Before you started your day.”
“About your proposal?”
Nodding, she stepped forward and sat next to him on the bed.
She lifted her legs so her knees rested on the mattress, touching his thigh.
“Yes.
Charlie and I talked it out last night.” Vaggie affirmed.
“First—I need to be honest.
I heard everything you told Charlie last night.
I wasn’t asleep.
I just didn’t want to interrupt you two.”
His brow creased with concern, and he shifted nervously.
“You were awake when I set you into bed?”
“Oh, most definitely.” She grinned lightly at his reaction and patted his hand reassuringly.
“And it’s okay.
I thought it was very sweet.”
It was a rare occasion where Kevin honestly didn’t know how to reply, so he kept silent and just nodded.
Shaking her head softly, the smile still drawn on her lips, she continued.
“I told Charlie, and I’m telling you now, you should have taken her to this bed, Kevin.
You two had waited an eternity.”
He shrugged his shoulders and ran his finger along the bed sheet.
“Even so.
It wasn’t appropriate.”
“Even so.” She parroted his words and replied, “I wouldn’t have been upset about it.”
He took a moment to glance at her.
She was looking at him squarely, and he saw nothing in her eye or her features that said anything other than she meant every word.
He didn’t know her thoughts, but he trusted her words, and he chose to take her at face value.
This time, he smiled.
“I believe you, and I’m guessing Charlie asked all the questions?
Why did you offer this hinge relationship?
How do you really feel about it?
What are the sleeping arrangements going to be like?
Opposite nights, I’m guessing?
And since you’re here, sitting next to me in almost nothing, that I’m not allowed to be shy about my own feelings in all of this?
That I should not hesitate or question that I can be close to Charlie or you—in a less sexual nature—at any time we’re together.” He paused, observing her reaction, and added with a smirk.
“Am I close?”
She was staring at him, her lower jaw slightly agape, when it hit her.
“This is your 4-D chess thinking, isn’t it?”
“Vaggie.” Instead of answering the obvious, he took her hands in his and gazed into her eye.
“When you first asked me to stay, my initial thought was ‘no.’ I had kissed Charlie without even considering anything or anyone else.
When I saw the look on your face and realized you were with her, I was deeply mortified.
I knew I had to explain myself, maybe get the chance to say goodbye to Charlie in a proper way, but I had intended that once we finished sharing our story, I would leave.” He pulled her right hand up and kissed her knuckles.
“And I am so very sorry that I hurt you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
Her body shivered slightly from the sensation, and that earlier thought—I don’t think—revisited her mind.
She mentally shook her head and nodded for him to continue.
He gently let go of both her hands.
She absentmindedly rubbed the spot where he’d kissed as he resumed.
“When you proposed this, I was torn.
I was dead set on leaving—it had been permeating my thoughts for a month—but then you threw me—and Charlie—for a loop.
But I took to heart everything you said and offered.
When Charlie and I were in the elevator, we stole a moment—a reminder of our last night on Earth—and I freely admit it took considerable willpower to control ourselves.
But we both knew the right thing to do was to wait.
Even if you say you’d have been okay with us going to bed together last night, we wouldn’t have been.
We’d have felt guilty.”
“I told Charlie I’d have been fine if she stayed in your bed last night.” Her strong voice quavered.
“But she came back to me first, and it only reaffirmed to me how much she loves me.” Letting out a little sob, she continued.
“And I needed to know that.”
He caught the choke in her words, and his own voice certainly cracked.
“Then we were right.
You aren’t ready for this.”
“I’m sorry.
I didn’t lie, but…” She looked up at him, her lips trembling.
“I couldn’t tell her, Kevin, that this decision scares me so much.
I did this for her—for you—but I don’t know if I’m doing this for me.”
“You can still end this.” His voice caught on ‘this,’ and she heard it clearly.
“I know.” Suddenly, she jumped to her feet, took three steps, and turned around with a look of surprise and frustration etched across her features.
“How is it that I can be so open with you, and I couldn’t even tell Charlie?”
“You’re her armor.”
She pressed her hand against her chest, his words hitting her square in the heart.
“How did you—?”
“Because, as you know from what we shared last night, Charlie promised to be mine.
You’re trying so hard to be strong for her that you’re forgetting to take care of yourself, too.”
“I never had a chance to.
I had to protect her and make her happy.
She saved my life, Kevin, so I can’t do any less than everything to see her dreams come true, all of them…” She gave him a pointed look, then sniffed out a small sob.
“But it’s so exhausting.”
“Do you want to end this?” He asked again, more boldly.
Lowering her head, she took a deep breath that shuddered through her chest.
When she looked up, her eye was wet with fresh tears.
“No.
I told Charlie I grew fond of you listening to the tale you two shared, and I really could use my own armor, and who better than to ask my girlfriend’s boyfriend?” She fixed her eye on him, letting herself be vulnerable in a way she rarely allowed, and whispered, “Please?”
“Then that’s what I’ll be.” Standing up, he approached her and placed his hand on her warm, bare shoulder.
“In whatever way you ask, whatever way you need, I will be here for you.”
Nodding, she leaned her cheek into his palm and replied, “You already make me feel safe.
Safe in the same way Charlie makes me feel safe.” Her body trembled slightly against his touch.
“Fuck if I know how, but I want this to work, Kevin—it’s just fucking scary.”
“I don’t have all the answers or even know the plot of our future, Vaggie, and no amount of strategy can prepare us for what’s ahead.” He traced his fingers through her hair, brushing some strands aside gently.
“But I swear to protect both of you with every fiber of my being, and if you truly allow it, I will love Charlie with all that I am, but this will only work if you’re truly okay with the three of us in this relationship.
Otherwise, I’ll leave.”
She turned her head away, and even though she had only one eye, it crinkled in thought.
“I told Charlie that I had opened the door and that I would be a bitch to close it now.
She’s whole, and it fills my heart with joy.
More joy than I’ve felt in a long, long time.”
She paused, and a smile crossed her lips.
Turning to face him, she lifted her arm and rested her hand on his shoulder, mirroring his position on hers.
“And for this to really work, I will need you as my armor, to protect me from myself while I find my place in this new relationship.
Let me stumble a bit, please.
But don’t hesitate, shy away, or second-guess your rights with Charlie.
If you do, I will, too, and I don’t want that.”
Drawing in a breath, he nodded slightly.
“We’re all going to stumble, Vaggie.
As long as we’re honest and blunt about how we feel at any moment, if something seems off or one feels left out, we discuss it, and I think we’ll each find our place.”
Chuckling, she moved her hand off his shoulder.
“This would be so much easier if I weren’t a lesbian.”
“I’m flattered,” he mused, shifting his arm to his side at the same time.
“I don’t know if it would make things easier, but I think I’d end up being much too exhausted to carry out my duties.”
Grinning, she playfully poked his chest.
“That’s true.
Charlie and I are both insatiable when we have the time.”
“I had a taste of that once.” Chuckling, he continued, “Only this time, as an angel, I have a bit more power to handle her appetite.”
“As a fellow angel.” Letting out a soft laugh, she replied.
“I can honestly say, you’re going to need every bit of it.”
Shaking his head with a smile, he noticed that her body had shifted and appeared more at ease.
The tension in her shoulders had released.
“Feel better?”
Without hesitation, she answered with a warm tone.
“I do, thank you.” Her smile faded slightly.
“I didn’t realize I was not as sure about this as I’d promised Charlie, and I am usually so sure of myself about all my choices.
But now I feel so much better and much more confident about what I want.
But, while I do appreciate your honesty and loyalty, will you keep this a secret from Charlie?
It took everything I had to convince her that I was okay with this, but I forgot to convince myself until now.
I don’t want her to think I’m changing my mind when I’m not.”
“Unless she asks me directly, I won’t volunteer any information.” He countered.
“Very fair.” She nodded.
“And thank you, Vaggie.
I’m sure you could tell how nervous I was that you would change your mind.”
“I’m sorry, but you showed me you respected my feelings and would accept my decision regardless.
That… that means a lot.
You are truly a gentleman.”
“I have my moments,” he quipped with a smirk.
He was so genuine, honest, and sincere.
She smiled softly for a moment before her lips quivered slightly.
New feelings and thoughts coalesced in her mind, quickly fitting together the various pieces—her confession, his support, her limits, his warmth—and she lifted her face to him.
Her eye revealed a shyness she had only shared with Charlie when she’d found her injured and alone, and she breathed out in a whisper.
“Such a gentleman.” She repeated, then added nervously, “But just for a few minutes, maybe you don’t have to be?”
“Vaggie?” He blinked, uncertain of her request.
Nervously, she stepped into his arms and set her face against his chest.
The fabric of his wrinkled uniform was warm from his body heat.
“I…I want you to…” The rest stuck in her throat.
“To what?” He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, his tone gentle and encouraging.
“Be my armor?” It was as much as she was able to ask.
He didn’t hesitate.
She felt him lift her off her feet and carry her to the bed.
He sat her down, and the soft mattress sank beneath her.
She let go so he could step back.
Brushing her hair from her face, he bent down and kissed her forehead—much like he had the night before—and then gently pushed her onto her back and crawled above her.
She shivered involuntarily, never having let a man invade her space like this before.
Shifting to lie beside her, he reached for her shoulder and guided her, adjusting her position to face him as they lay side by side.
Slowly, he leaned in, watching for any sign of rejection, but all she did was close her eye and lift her chin.
The soft invitation was enough, and he gently pressed his lips against hers.
She instinctively tensed.
Even though she’d voluntarily kissed him the night before, this felt completely different.
It was intimate.
She was being intimate with a man.
Tentatively, she reciprocated, tasting his lips against hers.
They were warm, slightly salty, a bit rough, and shockingly dry—nothing like the soft velvet touch of Charlie’s luscious lips.
His kiss wasn’t as chaste as the one she’d given him the night before—he was showing real affection, but it wasn’t invasive.
It was more akin to a promise to protect her as much as she’d protect them.
Her eye moistened behind her lid, and she leaned in further, wanting very much to express the same feelings to him.
Slowly, they shared quick pecks and long, lingering kisses with mostly closed lips, only occasionally letting out soft moans as the kisses sent tiny sparks along their skin.
When she felt Kevin’s hands begin to caress her back through the thin fabric of her nightgown, she reciprocated in kind.
Her body slowly melted into the moment, relaxing to a point that what she was doing with him seemed… natural.
The experience lasted about three minutes.
Then Kevin pulled back, his face flushed.
“Was that okay?”
It took her a moment to gather her thoughts, but she nodded softly.
Licking her lips, she declared in a small voice, “It was.
And I think this is the level I want with us.
Occasional cuddles and kisses, but no sex.” She traced her finger along his chest and admitted with a shy blush, “But, I do like this.
It feels nice.”
Her affirmation gave Kevin the confidence he’d been missing.
“You’ve made me believe in you, Vaggie, in all of this.
I promise—no hesitation or fear.
I’m all in.”
“Well, with Charlie, you can be.” Smiling teasingly, she replied, “I’m sticking with these.” She kissed him again, having decided she really liked doing this with him, and watched as his eyes widened in response to her pun.
Point to me!
She thought, deciding that she was going to make this a long-term game with him.
When she pulled back, he laughed with a shake of his head, seemingly understanding the challenge.
“You’re going to have a lot of fun at my expense, aren’t you?”
“You know it, babe!” Her smile was broad and inviting, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
“It’ll be the substitute for not having sex with you.”
“I can live with that,” he replied with a grin.
Sitting up, he pulled her along with him.
Lying against him, she sighed contentedly.
“I’ve always been the warrior, Kevin, never letting my guard down or letting myself feel vulnerable for Charlie’s sake.
It’s been so exhausting.” She peered up to meet his gaze.
“So I accept you as my armor.
I’ll need it so I can pretend, just for a little while, that I don’t have to be anything else but Charlie’s girlfriend.”
Slipping an arm around her, he kissed her forehead.
“It will be my honor, Vaggie.”
Lowering her head, she pressed herself deeper into him and closed her eye, allowing herself to completely let go of her defenses.
It was the first time in her life that she felt safe in a man’s arms.
Despite the way Angel Dust had teased her, she didn’t find men repulsive, but Adam’s cruel misogyny hadn’t helped.
She simply lacked a sexual attraction toward men.
However, she didn’t require a physical attraction to Kevin to feel at ease in his presence.
After all, she meant it when she told Charlie she’d kind of fallen for him as well, for his soul, and if it meant that occasionally they shared the same space with Charlie in a romantic setting, she felt she would be okay with it.
She let herself admit she was curious about how Kevin would make love to Charlie.
That thought made her glow with a hot blush, and she shifted her body, signaling she wanted to get up.
He opened his arm to let her.
She placed her feet on the floor, slipped off the bed, straightened her wrinkled nightgown, and gathered her wandering thoughts.
Turning, she leaned in and chastely kissed him one more time.
“I am going to hold you to that promise, Kevin Angelus Collins.”
He touched his lips as she stood up, giving her a tender look.
“I won’t disappoint you.”
“I know you won’t.” With that, she stepped back a couple of feet and appraised him for a moment, then grinned wickedly.
“You do know that today is your first official day as head of security of the hotel, mister, and that you’re late for your shift?”
Sliding off the bed, Kevin stood at attention with a smile.
“Yes, ma’am!
Sorry, ma’am!
It won’t happen again.”
“Oh, it will.” Teasingly, she accused, “Likely every other morning.” She turned and walked briskly to the door.
“Well, in that case,” he teased back, “you will probably have to blame Charlie just as much as me.”
With her hand on the handle, she paused.
The way she felt in his arms, his tenderness.
Maybe?
Should she tease him before she was sure?
Or did she need to tease him to reassure herself?
She’d have to talk to Charlie about it more in-depth later, but right now?
Chewing on her lip for a moment, she took the plunge and made a bold choice.
She’d explain to him later what she meant, but right now, she was going to have a little fun with him and score another point.
Looking back, she gave him a sly grin.
“In that case, on occasion, I might have to blame myself as well.
We’ll have to explore what it’s like to share the suite some night.
All three of us.”
Seeing his stunned look, she mentally licked her finger, stroked the air in victory, and without another glance, walked out and shut the door behind her, only catching part of his response.
“Wha—?”