Now and Forever Read online

  “Yes. I know that. What I meant earlier—”

  “I’m offering you my protection.”

  That stunned Harley into silence for a second or two. “What?”

  “The spirit has seen your face. She might come after you next.”

  Harley stared into Connor’s eyes. Connor’s face had a neutral expression, and Harley couldn’t be certain if the angel was simply attempting to scare him, or make fun of him. However, he couldn’t erase the memory of the spirit’s terrifying face.

  “Uh, well, when you put it that way, I guess maybe it’s best if we sleep on the same bed. Just in case. I mean, we will be safer together. Right?”

  Connor chuckled. “Glad you see it my way.”

  Although Connor had said that in a mocking tone, Harley wasn’t hurt by it. Connor might be poking fun at his expense, but the angel didn’t sound cruel while doing so. Besides, even if this was all nothing but a dream, Harley wouldn’t mind sleeping next to another man. It had been a really long time since that had happened. Harley would just think of it as two acquaintances sharing a single bed during a platonic sleepover. Plus, he owned a king-sized bed. He wouldn’t have to worry about the lack of space. There would be plenty for both of them.

  But Harley received yet another surprise when they entered his bedroom. Connor started stripping, including his sinfully tight black leather pants, until he was fully naked. Harley gaped at Connor’s hairy body, from the muscular chest all the way down to the angel’s firm, hard calves.

  “Why are you naked?”

  “I always sleep naked.”

  “Do angels sleep?”

  Connor snorted. “Of course. I have a house in the underworld, and it can get quite hot down there, so I never wear anything in bed.”

  All the new information proved to be too much for Harley. He didn’t quite know how to process it all. “Okay.”

  Then Harley removed his clothes, down to his trunks. Connor chuckled while staring unabashedly in Harley’s direction. “You’re a very beautiful man.”

  Harley abruptly felt self-conscious and tried to cover himself with his arms, but Connor slapped them away. Harley glared at Connor and blurted the first thing that came to his mind. “Have you no filter inside your brain? And stop ogling me. It’s creeping me out.”

  Connor shrugged. “You humans are weird. Just say what you mean, and mean what you say. Also, being naked is completely natural. Do you sleep in your underwear?”

  Harley pouted and shook his head. “No, but it’s common courtesy—”

  “Don’t bother. I’ve existed for thousands of years. I’ve seen enough naked men and women over the years. What’s another one?”

  Harley was annoyed by how rational and calm Connor was, but the angel was right. He hesitated for a few seconds longer before deciding to ditch his trunks. Then he hurriedly got into bed and pulled the comforter over his naked body. He also made sure he was sleeping near to the edge of the mattress, far away from Connor, who simply snickered and climbed onto the bed at a more leisurely pace. Harley attempted to peek at Connor’s extremely well-endowed dick as discreetly as he could, but he failed.

  “Sorry.”

  Connor shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m flattered.”

  Harley could feel his cheeks heating even further from mortification, so he turned away. “Right. Whatever. Good night.”

  “Sweet dreams, Harley.”

  Harley didn’t bother to provide any response. Instead, he shut his eyes and lay still. He thought he would have a tough time falling asleep that evening, especially with such an attractive, naked man on the other side of the bed. He was wrong. The last thing he remembered was the proximity of Connor’s body to his own. He could also feel the angel’s warmth, even though they didn’t have any physical contact. Connor was like a damn furnace. Before Harley realized it, he started to feel drowsy, and thought that perhaps when he woke up, he would discover that this had all been a dream, a nightmare, just like he had suspected earlier. Then he couldn’t recall anything else.

  Chapter 2

  Many things happened all at once. Connor saw the gleaming, long blade heading in his direction. Then a burst of red as blood sputtered out. Some of the red liquid landed on his face and neck, but he wasn’t injured. He gaped in shock as a gorgeous man dropped onto both knees right in front of him. He couldn’t recognize the man, but he noticed the tip of the blade piercing through the guy’s chest where the heart had been located before the assailant pulled it out. Connor got onto the ground in a hurry and caught the man in his arms. He didn’t want the stranger to fall any further and hit the back of his head on the ground. He lay the man on his arms and legs as he trembled in shock while the guy smiled up at him. He continued to stare at the stranger, who lifted one unsteady hand and cupped Connor’s cheek.

  “Connor, don’t cry for me.”

  Connor gulped as tears streamed down his cheeks. “No. You can’t die. Not now. We’re so close.”

  The man simply chuckled in Connor’s direction. “I’m sorry, my love. M-maybe we’re n-not meant to be. Not in t-this lifetime, but someday s-soon. I promise. I love you now and forever.”

  The last few words were almost inaudible, but Connor heard them loud and clear. Then the man’s hand slipped downward, and he was gone. Connor sobbed quietly for a brief moment before he put the man fully on the ground. After that, he stood and dashed toward the assailants—a big group of men—but he couldn’t have cared less. He’d kill them all if it was the last thing he did.

  All of a sudden, a powerful bright light forced him to cover both of his eyes with his right arm and…

  * * * *

  Connor gasped and opened his eyes. It took him quite a few seconds to work out exactly where he was. He hadn’t had any dreams in thousands of years. A second or two later, he noticed Harley curled up against him while he held the man in his arms. He groaned when Harley shifted backward, pushing that delectably sexy ass right against his throbbing, leaking erection. Connor might be an angel, but he was far removed from the image that humans seemed to envision of a being like him. He had sexual desires similar to any mortals, and it wasn’t difficult for him to feel aroused, especially around a man as sinfully attractive as Harley. Not that he would do anything unthinkable to the man. He wanted Harley to make the first move consciously.

  He chuckled in amusement when Harley abruptly turned and clung onto him. He could feel Harley’s morning wood poking against him. He ignored his mounting desperation and tugged the smaller man close to him before wrapping him in his arms. After that, he thought about his earlier dream. He had no idea why he’d started having dreams again. Moreover, the dream was really strange. It felt as if he had truly been there once upon a time. Even that gorgeous man in his dream had been familiar to him somehow. However, he couldn’t recall ever meeting him before. He would surely remember such a man, especially someone who had died for him.

  He was startled out of his reverie when Harley stiffened in his embrace. He glanced downward and nearly snickered at the sight of the panicked expression on Harley’s face.

  “Finally awake?”

  Harley’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly a couple of times before he eventually got out the word. “Y-yes.”

  “I swear I didn’t do anything to you. You were the one who scooted all the way toward my side of the bed. If you don’t believe me, you can sit up and check.”

  Harley did. Then he blushed, which amused Connor. If he thought Harley was adorable with those reddening cheeks, the shorter man was so much cuter with the tips of his ear flushing red. “I’m so sorry.”

  Connor placed both palms on the back of his head before smirking at Harley. “Don’t be. I’m extremely flattered, especially when I feel your leaking hard dick jabbing my stomach. Trust me on that one.”

  Harley’s cheeks grew impossibly redder. “Shut up.”

  Connor snorted. “Why are you so shy? You’re not a virgin, are you?”

  Harley swiveled
around and glared at Connor. “Of course not! I know I look really young, but I’m actually thirty-three. I’d dated some men, and I had a few one-night stands. I have some experiences under my belt.”

  Connor snickered. “Okay then. What are your plans for the day?”

  “I have a job to do.”

  Connor arched his left eyebrow. “What do you do for a living?”

  “I find things for people.”

  “What?”

  “Not common items,” Harley explained in a hurry. “Most of the time, people hire me to locate rare things such as ancient paintings, books, and other antiques.”

  “What about missing people or animals?”

  Harley scoffed. “I don’t search for those. We have the proper authorities and channels for them.”

  “What are some of your most interesting jobs?”

  “Heirlooms. Some families have either sold or lost their heirlooms for one reason or another, and hope to get them back. They’ll pay me to track down those items.”

  “Do you earn a lot of money per assignment?”

  “Yeah. I charge quite a bit, depending on the level of difficulty. Naturally, all of the related expenses are completely separate from my personal fees.”

  Connor grinned. “Sounds like you lead quite an adventurous life.”

  “Yes and no. Some of the tasks can be really boring.”

  “Do you mind if I tag along?”

  Harley had a rather bewildered expression on his face. “Uh, it’s daytime?”

  “And?”

  Harley gestured wildly at Connor with both hands. “You’re an angel.”

  “And?”

  Harley sighed. “There will be many people out there.”

  “Get to the point already.”

  “They will see you.”

  Connor still had no idea what message Harley was trying to convey. “I know.”

  “Aren’t angels supposed to hide themselves from ordinary humans like me?”

  Connor was stunned for a second before he burst out laughing. “I can blend in just fine.”

  “Not looking the way you did last night.”

  Connor snorted. “I can always change my clothes.”

  “But I don’t have anything that will fit you. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re…you’re…” Harley went quiet for a few seconds. “You’re kind of…uh, you know.”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  “Huge! Large! Massive! Enormous!” Harley shouted while pointing at Connor’s various body parts. “A hairy beast of gigantic proportions—everywhere!”

  Connor smirked when he noticed the man staring at his cock, only half hard now, but it twitched a little.

  “Thank you for the nice compliment. You have a nice piece of equipment down there yourself. Certainly nothing to be ashamed of.”

  Harley blushed again. “Stop ogling me like a piece of meat.”

  “Simply returning the favor.”

  Harley turned around in a hurry. “I wasn’t looking at your…uh, penis.”

  “You can say ‘cock.’ I don’t mind.”

  The back of Harley’s neck flushed into a deep shade of red. “Shut up.”

  Connor burst out laughing again. He was going to enjoy teasing Harley. The man might be a full-grown adult in human standards, but he was adorably bashful over the most natural things like sex and dick.

  “Okay. Fine. Anyway, I can conjure clothes that are less conspicuous. Maybe T-shirt and jeans. What do you think?”

  Harley gaped at him. “You can do that?”

  Connor chuckled. “Of course.”

  “Wow! You must have saved plenty of money over the years.”

  Connor snorted. “What do I need money for?”

  Harley seemed astounded for a few seconds before he shrugged. “You’re right. What do you eat, though? Or do you not eat at all?”

  “I can consume human food and beverages, but I don’t need to.”

  Harley appeared truly bewildered now. “Where do you get all your energy?”

  Connor got on his hands and knees as he crawled toward Harley on the bed. Then he leaned in toward Harley’s left ear. “Blood.”

  Harley jumped a little before shifting backward toward the edge of the bed. Then he clutched both hands over his neck. “Really?”

  Connor chortled. “Of course not. I may be a lowly angel, but I’m still an angel. Only vampires drink blood.”

  “I see.” Harley visibly stiffened. “Wait! Hold on! Are vampires real?”

  “Duh!”

  “How am I supposed to know that? There’s no tangible proof of their existence.”

  Connor beamed at him. “Oh, they’re very real. Trust me. Every species in the supernatural world has its own cleaning crew responsible for ensuring that they remain undiscovered by ordinary humans.”

  Harley went speechless for several seconds. “Every species? How many species…you know what? Forget it. I don’t want to know. I’m now even more terrified than before. This feels like a horrible nightmare, and I’m trapped inside an alternate reality or something.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes!” Harley exclaimed.

  Connor pinched Harley’s right cheek. Hard.

  Harley rubbed one palm over his cheek while glaring at Connor. “Fuck! What the hell did you do that for?”

  “I made sure you know you’re very much awake.”

  “Fuck off!”

  “Can’t. You still owe me for what happened last night. Now, can I come along with you on your job?”

  Harley shot him a dirty look before getting off the bed. “Asshole. Fine. You can do that. Let me take a quick shower first.”

  “Me, too.”

  Harley shrugged. “There’s another bathroom between the two extra bedrooms on this floor. It should have liquid soap and shampoo inside. Just grab a clean towel from the cupboard. Use any of the new toothbrushes as well.”

  The long string of instructions astonished Connor. “Why can’t we shower together? It’s not as if we haven’t slept naked together.”

  Harley narrowed his eyes. “Because I still need a bit of privacy even if it lasts for only a few minutes.”

  Connor chuckled. “You humans are so weird.”

  “As if you’re any better.”

  Connor grinned. “Fine. I’ll see you later then.”

  “Take your time,” Harley muttered. “In fact, spend an eternity inside the bathroom for all I care.”

  Connor snickered, but he didn’t bother to utter a single word. He didn’t want to tease Harley much further just in case he ended up pissing off the man, and he was unwilling to do that. They might not have met each other under the best of circumstances, but he found he actually liked Harley. There was something enticing and enchanting about him that Connor couldn’t shake off. Or maybe he had been a soul collector for way too long, and he was simply craving companionship. At least something that lasted longer than a mere one-night stand. After all, the loneliness of being a solitary soul collector was beginning to weigh him down, and he had been doing that for more than six thousand years. As much fun as random sex with countless strangers could be, the experiences always left an empty void inside him. Harley was like a breath of fresh air. Connor didn’t need to breathe. His physiology was different. However, it felt invigorating to add a new person into his daily routine. It made his existence more bearable.

  Moreover, malevolent spirits were notoriously slippery and hard to catch because they could conceal themselves within the protective blankets of darkness everywhere on Earth. It might be a while before Connor could eventually capture the evil spirit from the previous evening. It didn’t matter, though. He would get her. Sooner or later, all of those spirits would make a mistake or two, and they would show up when Connor least expected them. Then he would snatch them and send them into the underworld. In the meantime, he would have plenty of fun with Harley. He hadn’t felt such a zest for life, so to speak, in a really long time. Harley was
entertaining, and Connor would enjoy every single second he could spend with the man. He was more than willing to embark on any adventure with Harley. Whatever it was, it would surely prove to be highly amusing.

  Chapter 3

  Harley gritted his teeth as he forced himself to concentrate on his task. He was supposed to locate a missing heirloom for a particularly wealthy family whose last few descendants happened to live in San Francisco. It was an old pocket watch. The watch and its chain, both made of pure gold had been stolen about a year ago, and the robber had been killed a couple of weeks later. Unfortunately, the pocket watch hadn’t been among the items the police had managed to retrieve from the robber’s hideout, and they didn’t have any luck locating it, so around two weeks ago, the family hired Harley for the job.

  “Connor,” Harley hissed at the angel, practically pressing against him from behind. “Personal space, please.”

  “Why?”

  Harley glanced upward and prayed to whatever deity was out there for patience because he was mere seconds away from punching Connor’s lights out. He wasn’t furious at Connor, but aroused, and he couldn’t concentrate on his job. He desperately needed to question the pawnshop owner—the thirty-first one so far—without Connor standing so close. He could feel the angel’s body heat all around him. He could also smell Connor’s unique scent, which reminded him of lilies and something earthy. That combination triggered memories of being in a cemetery. Or maybe a graveyard. But he couldn’t be certain because he couldn’t think properly. Even more morbid about his current situation was the fact that his hard dick was straining inside his pants. He had never been turned on when attending someone’s burial, and he could detect the aroma of the freshly turned grave along with the fresh lilies in the air. Now, he was seconds away from humping against Connor like a horny beast.

  “Because,” Connor finally replied, “in a normal society, people don’t glue themselves to one another. You’re supposed to give me some space and not breathe down my neck constantly.”

  “That’s so weird.” Connor stepped back a few inches.

  Harley heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks. Now, I need you to shut up. I’ll talk to the owner when he comes back with the records of all the things that have been in and out of this shop.”