Halo (Fallen Angel, #1)(60)

“A helipad,” Slade added, as I peered out the window at the lush green foliage and palm trees that lined the entryway. “And anything it doesn’t have, you can get with one call.”

“Paradise,” Jagger said, and when I looked out the front windshield, an enormous palatial estate seemed to appear in the middle of all that greenery, as though it had sprung from the earth the same way the plants had.

Slade brought the car to a stop at the front entrance, which looked like some kind of Spanish bell tower. As I climbed out and craned my head back to take in the sheer size of it, I heard doors being slammed shut behind me as the guys continued talking about sun, sex, and—

“I call dibs on the guesthouse, losers.” Viper slung a massive duffel over his shoulder and then picked up another before heading to the stairs.

“That’s not fucking fair. You had it last time,” Slade said, as he hiked a backpack up his arm.

“Don’t matter. Rules are rules. Whoever calls it gets it.” Viper walked backward, a shit-eating grin on his face as he stared at the four of us who were standing at the back of the Cadillac.

Jagger grabbed his Louis Vuitton suitcase from the trunk and extended the handle. “Eh, less awkward that way. Now we don’t have to pretend to remember every new guy we run into in the kitchen.”

Viper flipped him off. “Doesn’t save me from tripping over every new chick out by the pool doing a downward fucking dog at the ass crack of dawn.”

“What can I say? I like someone who’s a little bit flexible.” Jagger laughed and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Halo. There’s plenty of rooms to go around—”

“And plenty to choose from so there’s a few doors in between,” Viper called over his shoulder, and while I knew the others would take that to mean so I wouldn’t have to hear Jagger, my mind went directly to how they wouldn’t hear me…with Viper.





Forty





Viper





DID YOU FINALLY pick a room?

It was around an hour after we’d arrived at the mansion that I tossed my bag onto the California king in the guesthouse and kicked off my boots. After taking a look around the main floor, we’d decided to go and settle into our respective corners and get some much-needed shut-eye before meeting up for our first meal in the big house later that afternoon.

But since Halo had already taken a three-hour catnap, I had a feeling the angel would more than likely be awake. Not two minutes after I’d sent the text, I got my answer.

Angel: I did. How’s your luxury suite out there by the ocean?

I walked over to the French doors I’d opened as soon as I’d let myself in and looked down to the small waves that were crashing onto the sand.

Fucking amazing. Wanna come see?

And while the view was amazing, I found my eyes glued to the three little dots on my phone.

Angel: The ocean?

Something about that comment made my pulse speed up, because it was obvious Halo was thinking about something other than the goddamn sea. If that’s what you wanna look at.

There was a pause for a moment, and while I could’ve let him off the hook—fuck that. Halo had been the one to open this line of dialogue, and I wasn’t about to let him run and hide. Come down here, Angel.

Three dots appeared, disappeared, and then—

Angel: I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Bingo. Why? You’re just going to look at the ocean.

Angel: Now who’s lying?

If he thought I wasn’t about to own up to that, think again. Me.

Fuck. I reached down to massage the heel of my palm over my dick as I leaned a shoulder up against the door. What room are you in?

Angel: I’m not telling you that.

But you want to, don’t you, Angel? Just like you want to come down here and see my…view.

A couple of minutes went by, and just when I thought Halo might’ve decided he was done with the conversation, up popped— Angel: I really fucking do, which is…crazy.

Ah, okay. This…this I could work with. Crazy how?

Angel: Crazy as in, I can’t stop thinking about your damn mouth for one. And what it did to me the other night.

Oh, I liked that. I liked that a whole fucking lot. My first taste of the angel had left me wanting more.

And what is my mouth doing now whenever you think about it?

Three dots. No dots. Three dots—Angel: Kissing me…sucking me…spouting off shit that I shouldn’t find hot but…do.

Jesus. Halo had my cock so fucking hard from this exchange that I reached down to flick open the button and unzip where I stood. I needed some kind of relief, and if he wasn’t going to come to me, then the next best thing would be to come thinking about him.

Was that what you were dreaming about on the plane?

Angel: LOL. That’s driving you nuts, isn’t it?

YOU are driving me nuts. Not to mention making mine ache, I replied, and then added, I haven’t jerked off this much since I was in fucking high school.

Angel: So I heard. Apparently you just fuck whoever is close by.

Come down here and that’ll be you.

I wasn’t sure what kind of response I’d get to that, but then Halo wrote back, See, that shouldn’t make me hot, but damn, it really does.