Sixth surprise heaven se.., p.1
Sixth Surprise (Heaven Sent Book 6), page 1
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2017 Mary Abshire
ISBN: 978-1-77339-291-2
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
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WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SIXTH SURPRISE
Heaven Sent, 6
Mary Abshire
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
Emily gazed out the window as Andrew steered the Jeep along the curvy road. Fall had arrived early in Massachusetts. The leaves had turned a variety of colors. She marveled at all the large trees in the area and the quaint homes. She’d caught glimpses of the ocean and a few lighthouses during the stretch from Boston to Rockport. The last few weeks of mountain scenery had been wonderful, but she had a feeling she was about to witness more of nature’s beauty. Who wouldn’t enjoy an ocean view along with the colorful season change in a small New England town?
“You’ve been very quiet,” Andrew said.
“I’m enjoying the view.” She turned to see him smiling. He had both hands on the wheel. Brown gauze on his forearm covered the name and address of the demon he had to destroy. He wore a gray t-shirt underneath a plaid short-sleeved button-down top and khaki shorts that reached his kneecaps. Before they’d left Tennessee he’d visited a barber to have his hair trimmed. Although he had short dark locks, they still had a bit of wave.
“I think you’ll like the rental I chose this time,” he said.
“I hope it’s not some little shack. The one we stayed at in the Smoky Mountains was cute and all, but it lacked space. We could barely move around in the single-bedroom cabin and I couldn’t get a good shower. Plus it needed upgrades everywhere. I felt as if we were camping, but with walls and a roof.”
“At least the toilet worked and it had a large hot tub overlooking the mountains.”
“The Jacuzzi made it worth staying there,” she said, grinning.
“Yes it did. I enjoyed our time in the tub immensely.”
Andrew had selected the rental property while they’d been in New Mexico. After staying in multiple hotels while they’d traveled from state to state, he’d wanted a change. She’d told him to search on Google for rentals and the name of the city. In less than thirty minutes, he’d booked a week at the small love shack. When it came time to search for a place in Rockport, he’d taken half a day to locate a place, and he’d refused to let her see what it looked like.
“Does this rental have a Jacuzzi?” she asked.
“Not outside, but it has one in the master bathroom.”
“Sweet. We need to pick up some bubble bath from the store. I haven’t soaked in one in a long time.”
“Can I join you in the bubble bath?”
“I’m hoping you do.”
He shifted his gaze from the road to her. The slight curl of his lips and the lusty look in his eyes ignited a wave of warmth inside her. She’d seen the same expression plenty of times and it always had the same effect. Tingles spread through her. She fought the temptation to slide her hand between his slightly parted legs. If she guessed right, she’d find a hard treat waiting for her. The man had a very healthy carnal appetite.
“You are such a naughty girl,” he said with a teasing smile.
“You’re pretty kinky yourself.”
Considering he’d been sentenced to Earth from heaven due to his sexual promiscuities, she hadn’t been surprised to learn how adventurous he was in and out of the bedroom. He enjoyed tying her up and blindfolding her while he had his way. He’d told her he loved to see her responses to his touch and kisses. He seemed to like spanking her too. Of course, she relished every bit of pleasure he gave her.
“What can I say? I love to please you,” he said as he slowed the car.
“And you do it quite well.”
He steered the Jeep into a lot for a small shopping area with a café, clothing store, outdoor sports shop, and rental property business. The latter took up the largest portion of the left side of the building. At the other end, a few round tables had been placed outside of the café. Two racks of clothes outside the clothing store caught Emily’s attention the most. Andrew parked closer to the rental place.
“I’m going to check out the clothes,” Emily said as he cut the engine.
“You’re not going to come with me?” he asked, stunned.
“Earlier you said you didn’t want me to.”
“I thought you’d at least try. You kept sneaking around me when I was booking the property.” He sounded a bit disappointed.
“I’m a woman who likes to shop for discounted clothes. Over there”—she pointed to the racks—“is a shop calling for me. If you want to surprise me, then I shouldn’t go with you.”
“Fine, I’ll come get you when I’m done.”
She reached over, put her palm to his clean-shaven cheek, and pulled him closer to meet her lips. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you picked out.”
He gave her a smooch back because one was never enough for either of them. “I can’t wait to see your reaction to it.” He left the Jeep before her.
Purse in hand, she headed for the store. The afternoon sun warmed her bare arms since she wore a short-sleeved blouse. A slight breeze cooled her exposed legs. She’d dressed in shorts after she’d checked the local temperature earlier in the morning and had learned the high would be in the upper seventies. The slashes all over her back she’d received from being tortured over five weeks ago had healed, so she no longer had to wear a large bandage around the upper half of her body. She could wear pretty much anything now, except bikinis and anything that would show the scars.
She stopped at the first rack and scanned over the items. A colorful dress with flowers caught her attention. The garment’s price had been marked down three times, probably since it belonged with spring attire instead of fall. She passed over the gown and glanced at the shirts. If she didn’t have so many already, she would’ve bought one. The prices were quite reasonable.
Emily ambled inside the store. The boutique displayed a wide range of short and long dresses, skirts, and blouses. All of them appeared handmade, not the type one would find in the typical department store. She strolled to the back, gazing at all the merchandise. On her way back to the front, she stopped at a round rack with knee-length outfits. Several of them held her interest.
Warm hands slid around her abdomen from behind her. “Find anything?” Andrew asked, pulling her close to his body.
“They have cute dresses. I wouldn’t mind coming back to look again sometime.”
“I like it when you wear dresses.”
She twisted to face him. “Easier to access my goods?”
His lips stretched. “I love accessing them.”
His playfulness always filled her with happiness. She gave him a kiss. “It didn’t take you long. Did you get the key?”
“Sure did, and I paid for two months. They had everything ready and waiting for me.”
“Two months?” Her elevated tone revealed her surprise. “Do you think this demon is going to be that difficult to destroy?”
The first one hadn’t been too challenging, but with each one since, the degree of difficulty had increased. Killing the human and then destroying the demon had always been the easy part. They ran into problems trying to lure the demon in a secluded location so nobody would see Andrew do his work. The ones who had been public figures had been the worst to get near.
“I wasn’t thinking about the demon when I booked the rental,” he said.
“Then what were you thinking? And how much does this place cost?”
He enclosed his arms around her. “I was thinking you’re going to love it and want to stay as long as we can. As for the price, it doesn’t matter. You’ve seen the balance in the accounts. We have plenty.”
Weeks ago when they’d been in Vegas for a few days, Andrew had hit big at the casinos. He’d visited a bank and had created an account with the fake credentials he had for Spencer Reynolds. After he’d deposited his winnings, she’d moved sixty percent to her overseas online account per his instruction. Since then, he’d done some online gambling. He had her transfer the funds to her account again. She often felt guilty for having control over his money, but he refused to have it any other way. He still kept enough in his bank to buy a couple of nice houses.
“I know you have money—”
“We, not me,” he corrected her.
She dropped her gaze, but he promptly placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it.
“We discussed this already,” he said in a soothing voice. “I want to make sure you don’t have to worry about money after I’m gone.”
“Can we not talk about that here?” She withdrew from his touch and stepped back. “We should go.”
Heaven had sent him to destroy six demons as punishment for his sexual promiscuities. If he had sex, the people in charge upstairs would add an extra year to his sentence. Andrew and Emily had fallen in love a few months back and had been doing the naughty deed ever since. Those in charge in the kingdom above had added a small plus sign and the number one on his inner wrist as a reminder to him he had an extra twelve months on Earth. So far, he’d gotten rid of five demons. The clock would start ticking for his return to heaven after he destroyed the sixth evil spirit. She hated to think she would be alone in the near future.
Back in the Jeep, Andrew steered along the main road, taking them deeper into Rockport. Many New England homes were multiple stories. Some were as large as mansions. They passed by an area full of shops, boats, and fisherman. As Andrew continued on the thoroughfare, the trees cleared in spots on one side and allowed her to see glimpses of the dark-blue water.
He turned down a different street leading away from the Atlantic. The homes seemed larger and more spread out. After he curved onto another road, Emily saw the ocean in full view and her eyes enlarged. The vastness of the water made her feel incredibly small. They passed a large house and continued toward a gambrel-roofed house near a curve. Andrew slowed the vehicle and flipped on the turn signal.
“Is this it?” she asked.
“Yep.”
He drove onto the long driveway and continued toward the right side of the multileveled home perched on the promontory. The style of the house made it appear as if it had been built over a century ago, but it looked well maintained. The backside had a covered porch with white rocking chairs facing the ocean. A small path from the home led through the back yard to a wooden railing at the end of the cape. The fence descended, leading her to believe it belonged to a staircase. The beach below didn’t look miles long, but it was close and she could walk along it.
“What do you think?” Andrew asked.
Emily stared in awe. The view amazed her. She could even see a lighthouse on a remote island in the distance. “This is incredible.”
He withdrew the key from the ignition. “Not as much as you are.”
She leaned over the seat divider and gave him a kiss. “Sorry about earlier.”
He pressed his lips to hers. “Let’s check out the rest of the house.”
Excitement rushed through her as she left the car. She hurried around it to catch up to him. The scent of the ocean surrounded her. Waves hit the beach below. She snatched his hand as he led the way to the front of the home.
“Even if the inside isn’t that great, the outside is spectacular,” she said.
He inserted a key into the lock. “I think you’ll like the inside too.”
She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed her body to his backside. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
He twisted the handle and pushed on it. “Not as much as I am to have you.”
He put his arm around her as she stepped to his side. Together, they entered the house.
Standing in the entryway, Emily could see straight through to the back windows overlooking the yard and further yet, the ocean. Sunlight lit up the interior. The light-colored hardwood floor and white walls made the house appear more like a beach home. Several feet past the entry, an open doorway led to the wide kitchen with white cabinetry, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. A rectangular high table sat in the middle. The sink overlooked the Atlantic and the lighthouse.
“Wow,” she said before continuing forward toward the living room.
A large mirror on the wall with a cushioned bench underneath it faced a small set of steps and a landing. The rest of the staircase angled straight up to the left. Clear of the stairs, soft beige furniture filled the room. Pictures of ships hung on the walls. The fireplace was the focal point. Plenty of windows offered views of the sea. Another room with furniture branched off to the left of the living area.
“Do you like it?” Andrew asked.
“I love it.” The words came out fast. The classic style decorations along with the views of the water gave a warm sense of hominess. “It’s beautiful.”
A back door led to the covered porch. They continued toward it. At closer inspection, the porch wrapped around to the side of the house. To the right of the living area, a blue and white striped cloth covered an oblong table with six chairs. With so many windows, one could eat and enjoy the view outside. Another open doorway led to a small hall with cabinets on one side and exited into the kitchen.
Andrew slid his arm around her waist. “Did I do well this time?”
She locked her wrists behind his neck and leaned toward him. “Honey, you selected a fabulous home.” She ran her fingers into his soft locks.
“Now you see why I paid for two months.”
She moved her mouth closer, but kept a tiny distance to tease him. “You never know… I might want to stay longer.”
His erection pressed against her. “We can stay as long as you’d like.”
She grinned as he moved in for a kiss. Before his lips could touch her, she backed away. “Show me the bedroom.”
“Can I show you something in the bedroom?”
“Does it involve you taking your clothes off?”
“Yes, and yours too.”
“Please, show me.”
He took her hand and pulled her toward the stairs. Giddy and full of joy, she looked forward to spending time with him in the dream home on the beach. He made her happy like no other person ever had. She couldn’t imagine life without him, didn’t want to. She admired everything about him, especially his personality, charm, sense of humor, nobility, and rock-hard muscular body. Many times she’d silently thanked the powers that be for returning him to Earth. As long as she had him in her grasp, she wanted to enjoy every minute with him. Starting in the bedroom.
Chapter Two
Squealing birds woke Andrew from his sleep. The soft sound of waves crashing outside soothed his weary mind while the naked woman lying on the side of his body calmed his soul. The beat of her heart vibrated against his chest. Her breath brushed like a feather over his shoulder. She meant the world to him. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy. Her love had become a drug he’d grown addicted to. He never wanted to let her go.
Once upon a time he’d believed he could never tie himself to one woman. He’d enjoyed the variety of ladies and had acquainted himself with many. If a woman wanted attention, he wouldn’t refuse, especially in heaven. The female persuasion had been everywhere and they’d wanted to play. Heaven had been all about having fun. What else was there to do?
Everything had changed after he’d met Emily. When she’d found him, he’d been lying in the middle of a country road, without any houses or cars in sight for miles. From the moment she’d offered to help him, he knew she was special. It took a little time to trust each other, but as their relationship developed, so did their hearts. She opened his eyes to his careless and fruitless activities. He opened her eyes to a world of love. Together, they were yin and yang. He couldn’t fathom how his journey to destroy demons might have turned out if he’d never met her.
Peace filled his soul, calming and relaxing him. Life had never been better for Andrew. He had the woman of his dreams in his grasp. He adored her and would endeavor to please her on Earth and in heaven. Each day he could hold and kiss her brought him great joy. And while his time on Earth would end in the near future, he didn’t let it sway his mood. He knew he’d get to be with her in the kingdom above. Her aura had transformed significantly since they’d first met. Although it wasn’t white, the color had lightened to a pinkish tint. He could only guess her efforts to save lives had contributed to the change. And even if her aura didn’t turn white before he returned to heaven, he’d fight to get her past the gates so they could be together.
Andrew opened his eyes and gazed at his beautiful lover. Her dyed brown locks had grown out a bit, revealing a lighter tint on top of her head. Her skin had tanned some since they’d spent several weeks traveling through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Before heading east, he’d talked her into staying in the Smokey Mountains. After five days, she’d seen enough mountains and had convinced him to leave, even though he’d paid for a full week. Given her earlier comment about the quaint love shack, he suspected her reason for wanting to go had been his selection of accommodation. This time with the beach house, he believed he’d chosen the perfect place to call home for a while.
