She brushed her lips over his in a soft kiss, then lingered soft and gentle. He held still, not tense, but motionless, as if he were afraid that any movement on his part would break the spell. She brought her hands up the hard planes of his chest, and leaned into him. Then she sucked his lower lip and released it with a quick swipe of her tongue before pulling away to see his expression.

The silver glint was back in his eyes. As she leaned back, his arms tightened around her and this time it was the angel that brought his lips to hers. His kiss was firm, more demanding, just this side of hungry. When he pulled away, Nyalla noticed that they both were breathless.

“You taste like the ocean,” he murmured, brushing his thumb across her lower lip.

“You do too.” She brought her hands up to his neck and pulled his head to hers, this time kissing him open-mouthed, not holding back.

He matched her passion, deepening the kiss and tasting her until she felt as if she would drown. Then just like the tide, his lips gentled, lingering as they left hers. He might not be experienced, but this angel certainly learned quick. And if she wasn’t careful, they were going to be doing a whole lot more than kissing while naked and waist-deep in the surf.

“Swim out to that catamaran and back?” His voice was deep and husky, his eyes ice-blue and silver.

“Can you swim as a human?” She hoped so because she’d never gotten around to taking those lifesaving classes.

“I feel certain I can.”

Nyalla stepped back, half turning toward the boat. “Race you.”

He grinned. “On three then? Wait…cheater! You cheater!”

She held back a laugh, swimming as fast as she could, diving under the rope that separated the swimming from the boating area. He quickly passed her, his head popping above the water next to the boat while she was still a good ten yards away. Evidently his affinity for water went beyond being an angel.

“Cheaters never win.” He grinned at her, shaking the water from his short black hair and waving a fist full of underwear. Yeah, he’d beaten her even while holding a bunch of clothing balled up in his hand.

“This cheater would have won if I’d gotten more of a head start.”

He pulled her in once she was close, then looked up at the catamaran. “This thing looks like fun. We should pay to take one out. Do you know how to sail it, or do we need lessons?”

Oh, how she’d longed for a friend to do these sorts of things with! A beach weekend with the girls was fun, but Nyalla had never had a boyfriend who enjoyed the water enough to want to learn to sail, to scuba dive, to surf, to spend every free moment in the water.

But Gabe wasn’t a boyfriend. She wasn’t quite sure he’d even be a friend for more than the duration of the spell. When it wore off, he’d be a stuffy archangel again with duties and responsibilities. He’d want to spend his free time meditating or improving his vibration pattern, not taking sailing lessons or hauling surfboards to the shore for the weekend.

For now, though, he was human and he seemed honestly enthusiastic about the idea of sailing a catamaran. “Absolutely. I don’t know if we’ll have time this trip for lessons, but we can rent one and have someone take us out for a sail.”

“I’d like that.” He edged around the side of the boat, “And I’d like to do all those other activities as well. Now that I know I can still swim, I’m excited to try them all. With you.”

Her heart skipped at the thought. “Back home we’re only three hours from the Atlantic coast. And the Bay is closer. The diving isn’t as great as it is down here, but we can sail and kayak and surf as often as we want.”

“I want. Now that I’ve found a kindred spirit, I plan on dragging you to every pond, lake, and river.” He looked out to the horizon. “But the sea is always my favorite.”

Nyalla smiled. “Mine too. Up until a few years ago I’d only seen lakes and ponds, streams and rivers. I’ve never seen something so vast and powerful. The ocean is where life and death come together, where they’re not even separate states of being.”

She turned to him. “I know you said you don’t want to talk about death, but this is where I want to be buried, my body given to the sea to fuel her eternal cycle. My body would live on in other life, my soul would be in every drop of water, I’d live forever, a part of everything from the tiniest of krill to the giant whales. In the ocean, life and death no longer exist, there is just being.”

Gabe scowled. “I understand what you mean, but I hate the thought of you dying. Human lives are so short, like brief flashes of light that die in what seems like seconds. It isn’t fair.”

“It’s not. And it’s especially not fair when young children die before they’ve even had a chance to experience life, but it happens. Worrying about it, railing against the unfairness of it all doesn’t change anything.”

“What if you could live forever?”

She laughed, not feeling any bitterness at the impossibility of that suggestion. “Some beings live a fraction of a day. Some live for billions of years. My lifespan is what it is, and I won’t waste one precious moment of it wondering ‘what if?’.”

He nodded, but didn’t seem satisfied at her words. They splashed for a bit then swam in, pulling their clothing on over wet and sandy skin. Gabe had stuffed Nyalla’s bra and panties in his waistband while she wore his boxers under her dress, rolling the waistband in an attempt to keep them from falling down.

Gabriel started down the cobblestone path and she fell in beside him. The sound of the hotel’s garden waterfall grew louder as they left the beach behind. Palms and ferns surrounded them. A tiny red lizard darted across the path, and orange bromeliad blossoms swayed in the constant breeze that hit this side of the island. They paused next to the beach-side bar, looking out at the pier and small boats docked just past the swimming area. Soft music piped through the speakers. A couple sat at the end of the bar, their heads together as they whispered and held hands. The bartender cleaned glasses, trying to ignore the pair.

“Let’s get a drink before we head up,” she suggested, hoping that this time she could at least get him to drink water. He’d danced with her. He’d flirted with her. He’d kissed her. Well, she’d kissed him and he’d been a willing and active participant. Surely one glass of water wouldn’t be that difficult after he’d done so many other human things this evening.

“Of course.” Gabriel put a hand to her back and gently steered her to one of the chairs, waiting until she was seated before he sat down beside her. “What would you like?”

“Whatever you’re drinking.”

“I’m an angel. I don’t consume food or drink beverages.”

She sighed. “Gabe, you’re not an angel right now, and if you don’t drink, you’ll die. And if you don’t eat, you’ll be weak and unable to defend me from the Gormand. I need you to help protect me, and you can’t do that dehydrated and starved.”

It was the right thing to say. The angel blinked, a look of shock flitting across his face. “Truly? I mean, I guess you’re right. I just…I’ve never done such things. I never wanted to sully my purity by indulging in sensory pleasures. Even though I’m human right now, food and drink have always been a hard line for me to cross as an angel. It always seemed the easiest of sensory pleasures to fall into. So minor. So seemingly innocent, but coffee and pizza can quickly lead an angel down the path to Hel.”

Kissing her was fine, but coffee and pizza were the equivalent of gateway drugs. She’d never understand this angel. But if this was what she had to work with, she’d find a way around his objections.

“Then we just have to find food and drink that you hate, but that is healthy and will allow your body to thrive. You can eat lots of kale and beets and possibly other disgusting things. There’s no chance of kale and beets leading you down a path to sin. And that way you won’t be indulging, you’ll be suffering in order to stay alive. Beets and kale surely won’t damage your purity or vibration pattern, will they?”

His eyes narrowed. “But aren’t all food and drink, even kale and beets, pleasurable? Isn’t that the idea?”

“Trust me, kale and beets are about as far from pleasurable as you can get. The idea is to fuel your body so you don’t die. We humans find lots of food and drink pleasurable, but it’s an individual thing. I hate broccoli. Some humans love it, but I don’t. For me to eat broccoli would be very unpleasant. There would be no joy in that at all. It’s very healthy and good for me, but I would have to force myself to choke it down.”

“Then I should eat broccoli and kale and beets?”

Nyalla sighed. “Knowing you, you’ll probably love the stuff. Let’s start with drinks since we’re here at the bar, and we’ll tackle food back in the room. Okay?”

Gabriel straightened his shoulders, like a man about to face an army. “All right. I’ll do it. But I’ll only agree to drink more than a sip of something if I hate it.”

Success! Well, almost success. “Except water. You have to drink water. It’s kind of tasteless, and there’s no real enjoyment in drinking it unless you’re super thirsty, or really hot. And then, the enjoyment is more because your body needs it than because it provides any sort of sensual pleasure.”

He listened to her intently. “Understood. Water. And any other beverage I find repulsive.”

The bartender approached and Nyalla ordered them both a glass of water. Then she asked for a soda, an orange juice, a glass of red wine, and a margarita. When the bartender sat them down, she instructed the angel to drink the water first, relieved that he downed the whole glass.

“I think I needed that,” he confessed.

“Good. Now try this one.” She pushed the soda over to him. Gabriel eyed it nervously.

“It’s fizzy.”

“Yes, that’s carbonation. It’s supposed to be that way. If it’s not fizzy, then it’s flat and you send it back.”

He took a drink and Nyalla choked back a laugh at the expression on his face.

“I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all. Does it have any nutritional value? Is it important for my continued existence as a human being? Because I don’t think I can manage to drink that on a regular basis.”

“No, it has no nutritional value. In fact, it’s probably bad for you.”

Gabriel glared at her. “You gave me something that’s bad for me? Why would you do that? It’s probably damaged my internal organs. Plus, I think it was dissolving my teeth.”

Oh Lady above, he was so funny. “Some humans enjoy it. Here. Try the juice. That’s healthy.”

Gabriel took a sip. “I could drink this if I had to. I’m not feeling particularly sinful about it, but it’s not repulsive.”

“Good. Water and juice, then. I’m not sure about the wine. It’s grape juice, but fermented so there’s alcohol. I guess it’s nutritious? I read a study a few months ago that said it was good for your heart.”

Gabriel stared at the wine. “Elves drink wine. Although after what I’ve discovered about elves recently, that isn’t exactly a recommendation. Do you like it?”

“Yes, although I’m more of a beer and mixed-drink girl myself. Try it. It can’t be as bad as the soda.”

“Nothing can be as bad as the soda.” Gabriel took a sip and swished it around like it was mouthwash before swallowing. “You said it’s good for my heart?”

“That’s what I read. The article sounded very scholarly. I think some doctor wrote it.” She blinked as Gabriel downed the remainder in the glass.

“I need to make sure my heart is healthy,” he commented. Then he slid the margarita over.

“Oh, that’s mine.”

He gave her one of the most pathetic sad looks she’d ever seen.

She sighed and pushed it the rest of the way over. “Go ahead. I don’t think you’ll like it, though.”

He took a sip and wrinkled his nose. “It tastes like your orange juice has turned rancid.”

Nyalla pulled it back and took a sip. “Yes, I know. I like it that way.”

“Is it good for me? Does is have greater nutritional value than the non-rancid juice?”

She bit her lip, tempted to lie and get him drunk. An archangel drunk. This archangel drunk. The prospect was so very enticing.

“No, it has less nutritional value than the juice.”

He sighed. “Then I will stick to wine and water, and an occasional non-rancid juice.”

“Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to coffee. And maybe milk.”

The angel’s eyebrows shot up. “Milk? As in the milk that young mammals drink?”

“Yes. Adults drink it too.”

His eyes drifted downward from her face. “Do I drink it from your breasts?”

“No! Oh, my….no!” She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. “First of all, I’m not lactating. Secondly, only human infants drink human milk. Human adults drink cow’s milk.”

There was no need to go into details of how incredible it felt during sex to have someone play with and even suck at her breasts. She’d save that conversation if their odd friendship ever went that far.

And how she hoped things did go that far. Sooner rather than later.

“I need to drink from a cow’s udder?” Gabe asked.

“No. Farmers milk the cows with machines then it goes to a processing facility and gets put in a carton or plastic jug. You drink it out of a glass, or if you’re like my brother, Wyatt, you drink it out of the carton.”

“I’m not sure I agree with this process. Is the cow harmed? And how nutritional is it for a human to be drinking cow’s milk? Shouldn’t humans pump from their own breasts and drink the milk that’s specific to their species?”

Nyalla took several gulps of the margarita to hide her giggle at the vision of lines of women hooked up to machines, their breast milk going into plastic cartons.

“Women actually do use machines to express milk, but it’s for their own infants or sometimes for other infants whose mothers are unable to provide milk for them and can’t drink the manufactured formula. At least try the cow’s milk. It has calcium and vitamin D and other good-for-you stuff. If you hate it, well then there’s another beverage you can force down once per day.”

He nodded. “I’ll try it. And maybe I’ll try this coffee that everyone is so eager for me to drink. You must promise me that you won’t tell anyone, though. Both Micha and the Iblis have been trying to get me to drink coffee for months now. I would prefer if they didn’t know. Actually I would prefer if they didn’t know about any of this.” He waved a hand down the front of him.

“I won’t tell,” Nyalla promised. And she meant it. It would be fun to let Sam know that Gabriel was drinking coffee, but she’d keep it secret. She’d keep the whole thing secret. As much as Gabriel didn’t want his siblings or Sam to know about his condition, she didn’t want any of them to know that she was the one responsible.

“Should I drink another glass of wine while you finish your rancid juice?”

She bit her lip. “Probably not on an empty stomach.”

“My stomach isn’t empty. I’ve had water, half of a glass of juice, a sip of acid-tasting soda, a sip of rancid juice, and a glass of wine. I probably should have another.”

Nyalla downed the margarita. No. She wouldn’t get Gabriel drunk. At least, not tonight. “I’m done. Let’s head back to the room. I’m sure you’re tired, and you’ve probably never been tired ever before in your whole life.”

Strangely enough, she was the one leaning on Gabriel as they walked back to the lobby and took the elevator to their floor. She’d only had one beer and the margarita, but it all seemed to go straight to her head, making her feel warm and drowsy, content and happy. The angel’s arm came around her shoulders and she rested her head against him, feeling the rough cotton of the shirt and the firm chest underneath.

“Are you okay? Do I need to carry you to the room?”

That would be awesome. “No, I’m fine. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” His arm tightened around her shoulder. “You can ask me anything.”

“Is it so horrible? Being human?”

The elevator dinged for their floor before he responded. “At first it was too much sensation all at once and I felt as though I was going insane. I felt completely powerless. I still feel that way sometimes. My physical form battles me for control, and sometimes wins. I’m not used to that. And I’m not used to having such inadequate skills and abilities. But even with the limitations, being human has an odd appeal.”

“Like what?”

“It’s hard to describe. There’s a closeness, a bond that develops quite quickly with other humans. It’s similar to what I feel for my siblings, but different. There’s a physiological component to it that borders on sinful, but somehow transcends those base instincts.”

“I think you described it perfectly.”

They walked to the room, and just as Nyalla was about to swipe her key card, Gabriel stopped her. “Do you enjoy being human, Nyalla?”

“It’s all I know.”

“But it isn’t all you know. Was there ever a time when you were growing up in Hel that you wished you were an elf?”

“Never. I’ve met some wonderful elves recently, but when I was in Hel the only ones I had contact with were horrible beings. Actually I used to wish I was a demon so that I could sneak into the elven lands and burn them all to a crisp.”

“Revenge degrades your vibration pattern. It’s far more beneficial to forgive.”

“But aren’t you pursuing Tura for revenge? I don’t see you forgiving him.”

Gabriel jerked back, as if she’d slapped him. “No, I’m pursuing him for justice. He needs to come before the Ruling Council to answer for his crimes.”

“And what happens if it seems he might slip away again? Will you take justice into your own hands? Because that sounds awfully close to revenge in my mind.”

He stared at her for a moment. “Perhaps we should enter the room. You appear fatigued. I believe the time for sleep is upon us.”

Nyalla snorted and turned to swipe her keycard. He could shift topics and evade the conversation, but he’d never be able to ignore what she’d said. There was nothing wrong with vengeance in her mind, but clearly Gabriel needed to think through his motives, and decide whether he was as much of a stickler for the rules he’d always claimed to be, or if there was another side of him.

Flicking on the lights, she looked around the room. Everything was still neat and tidy from Gabriel’s housekeeping efforts earlier. It was still early, but after everything she’d been through today, Nyalla was feeling like she wanted to curl up on a soft mattress with a good book, or perhaps some television.

And why did her mind immediately put Gabriel in bed beside her, reading a book of his own, or snoring lightly with his arms wrapped around her? He was an angel. She wasn’t going to get him drunk and she wasn’t going to seduce him. As if she even could seduce him. This wasn’t Nils, a Fallen who was reluctantly coming to terms with sexual desire. This was Gabriel, the most straight-laced, rule-focused of all the archangels. He might kiss her, joke about his occasional erection. He might drink beverages, and eventually eat food, but there was no way he would ever indulge in sins of the flesh. Even now that he had a body purpose-built for such activities.

And that thought had her eyeing his purpose-built body. Wow. Just wow. He was so…. Jacked was the word Terrelle used? But it was more than his muscles. It was his crazy dark hair, his eyes that shifted from blue to green to gray even as a human. It was that sexy scowl that made her legs go weak and wobbly.

“You take the bed,” she told him gallantly, forcing the tantalizing images of him sleeping next to her from her mind. And definitely forcing the images of him making love to her from her mind. “I’ll take the sofa.”

He scowled. Oh, Goddess, he was so sexy when he scowled.

“No. I will not take the bed.” He stomped over to the sofa and plopped down swinging his legs up. Nyalla stifled a laugh. His shoulders were so broad that half his body was hanging over the edge. His legs were draped over one of the sofa arms at the knee.

“Get. In. The. Bed.” She made her words as stern as possible given how close she was to a fit of giggles, then pointed dramatically. “You don’t fit on the sofa. I do. Now stop being honorable and be sensible.”

He gave her a side-eye, arching up a dark eyebrow. Then he sighed and got to his feet. “You are a very bossy human woman. And I find it very hard to argue with you. You win.”

The angel went into the bedroom, pausing at the threshold and looking back, as if he wanted to say something. Then he gave her an embarrassed smile and wished her goodnight, leaving the bedroom door open.

She heard him moving around in there, then the squeak of the mattress, followed rapidly by the rhythmic sound of his breathing. Getting up from the couch, she took a quick peek inside, transfixed by the man sprawled fully-clothed across the bed, his arms crushing a pillow against his chest. How she wished she was that pillow. Tip-toeing in, she pulled a tank top from one of the dresser drawers, then went into the bathroom and changed for bed. She’d need to pick up a toothbrush for Gabriel in addition to the clothing. And probably a razor. He could hardly use hers, and after a day, he’d have some whisker scruff. Although Gabe with whisker scruff would be incredibly sexy. Whisker scruff, and that scowl. Oh, wow, the idea was turning her on. And there was no way she was going to take care of things herself with Gabriel just one thin wall away. What if he woke up and caught her rubbing one off on the couch? Would he think her sinful?

What did she care what he thought? He was an angel. He was a sanctimonious jerk of an angel, according to Sam. But in spite of what the imp had told her, Nyalla liked Gabriel. He had a sweet, honest kind of innocence about him. And it wasn’t just his scowl that was sexy. When he looked at her with those gray-green-blue eyes, she felt special. She felt like maybe down deep inside he considered her an angel too.

With a sigh, Nyalla plopped down on the sofa, using a beach towel as a blanket. It was going to be a long night. This sofa had to be the most uncomfortable thing she’d ever slept on. Or not-slept on. It didn’t help that she knew Gabriel was in the next room, with the pillow bunched up under his head and his legs sprawled across the mattress. She’d rather be in there with him, but that wasn’t to be. What was her weird fixation with angels anyway? Her brief affair with Nils had ended badly, and she’d sworn to only date humans, or possibly werewolves, from that point on, but here she was lusting after an angel who was sleeping innocently in her bed while she tossed and turned on the sofa.

Yes, it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Around midnight, she just couldn’t take it anymore. There was no way she’d get any sleep on this horrid couch, and she needed to be well-rested if she was going to deal with a Gormand. The bed was huge. Gabriel was fully clothed. She had on a tank top and underwear. They could certainly sleep next to each other without being overcome with passion. Getting up, she crept into the room, sliding in next to the angel and tugging the blanket over her legs.

An arm came around her waist and hauled her over, wrapping her tight against a warm body. He mumbled something into her hair, then sighed.

Okay. Nyalla lay awake for a while, just enjoying the press of him against her, then she drifted off to sleep, feeling content.