p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Listen to your heart, Topi,' Theresa said quietly, using the pet form of her name that Eutopia had always loved when spoken in her soft Irish tone. 'There really isn't anyone who can tell you what's right and what's wrong.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"The two women were sat in the small and sparsely furnished living room of Mike and Theresa's house. Jinn, his hulking frame squeezed into the only armchair, sat watching the small screen of Theresa's T.V that rested upon a low pine unit in the corner of the room. Mike was channel hopping in a seemingly mindless manner; short bursts of song mixed with the spoken lines and canned laughter from nameless American sitcoms. Eutopia was curled in the space between Mike and his mum, warm and cosy on the brown velour sofa that took up most of the remaining space in the room. Theresa's hands were entwined with Eutopia's and Eutopia rested her dark head against the woman's small, bony shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'But I don't know what it is that my heart is trying to say,' Eutopia practically whispered back, her sapphire eyes fixed upon Jinn's emotionless face as his own gaze remained resolutely glued to the screen. 'How can I do the right thing when I don't even know what that is?' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Well, sometimes even our hearts don't know what the right thing is until the wrong thing happens. It takes courage, so it does, to do something we fear to be wrong. But to make mistakes isn't always a bad thing. God will forgive those who come back to his fold. Do what you feel you must, but don't ever forget my door is always open to you.' A thoughtful silence settled upon the room, broken only by Mike's gruff chuckles as he finally settled on a re-run of a slapstick comedy Eutopia had never seen before. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Later, Jinn caught Eutopia alone in the kitchen after she had offered to make the next round of tea./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I will follow you,' he said, leaning against the countertop with folded arms as she stood beside the white plastic kettle, waiting for it to boil. 'I've waited too long for you to just let you walk away now.' Eutopia avoided his eyes by searching the cutlery drawer for a clean teaspoon. 'I know exactly what you're planning, Eutopia, I know your heart inside out, and it isn't safe. I will not let you go alone.' She slammed the drawer shut and gritted her teeth to keep her anger in check. With the swift fluidity that betrayed his angelic nature, Jinn had scooped her up in his arms and was halfway up the stairs before she could make any sound of protest. Jinn pressed her gently onto Theresa's bed, Eutopia's back against the pillows and his face only inches away from hers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'emListen /emto me,' he insisted, his eyes flashing with urgency. 'I emlove/em you. I will protect you with every last breath I have in my body because I have waited an eternity in the darkest depths of hell just to be with you again. It is not emsafe/em for you to find Will. I thought it might have been different this time but now I know he's Nephilim and he's somehow connected to Petra, I'd be signing your death warrant just by letting you walk out that door!'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'He's my brother!' was all Eutopia could manage, feeling like a stuck record. Jinn closed his eyes, fists clenched tight as he pushed himself away from her. He stood, his towering frame tensed for a moment before he turned his pleading indigo eyes upon her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Don't you see? This life, the one you've been given this time, it's following the same course as the life you had before?' Eutopia sat herself up a little more, drawing her knees up to her chest and pulling a soft cream coloured faux-fur throw over herself that Theresa kept at the end of the bed. 'Each life you have spirals on from the one before, like a shadow. You are following in Eirene's footsteps.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Eirene,' Eutopia breathed, her eyes wide and glassy at the strangely familiar name. Jinn softened at once and sat beside her, reaching out to stroke her dark hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'It was different before. I was a guardian then, Eirene's guardian. Yours. Once you had made your choice the laws that govern my kind would not allow me to interfere, to physically stop you or change your mind. I could only become involved if it was by way of directly supporting you. I was helpless. I had to sit back and watch you walk to your death knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Things are different now. Because of the choices I made then for Eirene, for you, I was cast out from the ranks of the angels. I have not been allowed to return to Hiera and quite frankly, Eutopia, I wouldn't have done even if I had been able to because I knew I would find you again. I promised you we would meet in a better place, a good place and that's now. Here and now.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia bit her lip as she listened, the pain in Jinn's voice reflected deep in her sapphire eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Until I met you,' he continued, his hand sliding from her hair to caress her cheek, 'I never knew angels could feel pain. My heart broke when you died that day and that pain never abated until the moment I first laid eyes on you in that alleyway. But you were worth every splinter, every crack in my soul because it meant I got to share this moment with you again like I promised. We're in a better place now, Eutopia. I want us to stay here.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia's lips parted as she leant towards Jinn, her eyes sparkling with hot, unshed tears. The soft warmth of Jinn's mouth mildly surprised her as she kissed him. The silky throw slipped from her knees as she raised herself up from the bed enough to press her small frame against his hulking chest. Her arms slid around his neck as Jinn's arms wrapped around her waist, his large hand splayed out against the small of her back to pull her closer. When Eutopia pulled away, her cheeks were wet with tears and her lips slightly swollen from the intensity of the kiss. Her fingertips explored the smooth planes of his beautiful face as she shook her head and whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I think I knew you, all along I think I've known something about you.' She closed her eyes, laying her head upon his shoulder and pressing her lips to his neck as she smelt the night, the wind and the clouds captured in his scent. Tilting her head up, she placed a little kiss on his jaw before she stood up from the bed. Eutopia looked up at Jinn from beneath the heavy tangle of her dark hair, her eyes never leaving his as she reached up to slip the straps of her dress off. Deft fingers unclasped her bra and she bit her lower lip as she let the garments fall to the floor, standing before him in the puddle of her borrowed clothes, like a Venus perched on the crest of midnight blue waves. Her skin was smooth and perfect, unblemished, until she turned around… Extending from her shoulder blades, sweeping down to the small of her back were inked two beautiful, feathery wings. Delicately outlined, the black tattoo stark against her tawny skin, it was quite hypnotic. Jinn stood too, in awe as her gaze remained fixed on his from over her shoulder, despite his indigo eyes following the lace-like pattern. His hand reached slowly towards her back as though afraid his touch would be unwelcome, but Eutopia smiled with gentle encouragement. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'They're for you,' she said as the tips of his fingers began to slowly trace the graceful black lines inked forever on her skin. 'I don't think I ever did forget you, even though I didn't know I knew you.' She was sure now that it was Jinn who lingered brightly in the dreams she often had./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Jinn's own dreams of Eutopia had not done her justice at all, as he let his eyes rove over the delicate curves of her; the swell of her bare breasts, the arc of her hips. To Jinn, she was the epitome of beauty and it was all he could do to keep from flinging her back onto the bed in a passion. Instead, he lowered his mouth to her ear, one hand still lightly following the inky wings upon her back as the other reached round to stroke her cheek, cupping her chin and brushing her lips with his thumb./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I love you,' he muttered gently, before he began to lay kisses along the lines of her tattoo, from her shoulders all the way down to the base of her spine. He knelt behind her, his arms loose around her as his splayed hands reached for her exposed breasts. Eutopia gasped, eyes wide at the electric sensation his rough palms sent tingling through her as they ran over her nipples which instantly hardened into dusky pearls at his touch. His sweet kisses trailed back along her spine and she trembled as they found her neck. Eutopia turned in his arms to face him, her cheeks flushed with nervousness and desire as Jinn lay a kiss in the hollow between her breasts, his breath warm on her cool skin. His tongue found one nipple at first, then the other, licking at the small buds before drawing them into his mouth, each one in turn, to tease them out. Eutopia's head fell back slightly as she moaned at the delicious sensation, long tresses spilling over her shoulders and tumbling down her spine, forming a curtain behind which that glorious tattoo lay./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Jinn,' she breathed, her hands reaching out to run through his hair, down his neck to caress the strong muscles in his shoulders, feeling the long ridges beneath his skin from which she knew his own wings would sprout. He stood, gathering her to him so that her breasts pressed against him, chest to chest, and her legs lay either side of him as he cupped her rear. Her arms went around his neck as she kissed his lips again and pressed herself harder against him, every inch of her body yearning for contact with him, as though even an inch of space between their bodies would break whatever enchanted spell it was that had fallen upon them. He turned to lay her on the bed, more gently than he had initially. Jinn smiled at the slight pout of her lips as he gently broke her hold on him, peeling her arms from his neck so that he could stand back and shed his own clothes, discarding them on the floor alongside her dress. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Then it was Eutopia's turn to gaze at him in awe. She had never been with a man before and she found the strong, hard lines of his flawless flesh mesmerizing. He stood beside the bed for a moment in all his angelic nakedness, before he leaned down to lay beside her. One of his arms slipped beneath her head, drawing her closer as his other hand slid from her hip, across the plane of her stomach and over her ribs. Eutopia arched her back, pressing against his hand with yearning, like a cat seeking attention. Jinn could almost hear the thud of her racing heart as she reached out to mirror his caresses, hip to stomach to chest as their lips found each other once more. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I have waited an eternity for this,' he smiled softly. 'For you.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'So you keep saying,' she whispered back with a little grin, feeling her desire for him jangle every fibre in her being. Jinn shifted so that he was above her, his weight taken by each of his elbows as his head dipped down again to once more trail a line of kisses along her body. Feathery light, he lay each one upon the skin around her nipples, drawing them across the tops of her breasts and down towards her naval. Lower, lower he went, grazing across the top of her panties which sent a shiver down her spine and caused a little gasp of pleasure to escape her lips. Jinn brushed his kisses further down still, around the edges to her inner thighs before dragging them right across the black lace to where her want for him was obvious. Eutopia's thighs instinctively spread a little further, welcoming Jinn as he settled between her legs. One of his long fingers slipped beneath her panties at her hip as he tugged them down, exposing her completely. His hand cupped the heat there, thumb instantly finding the little bud of pleasure and beginning to stroke it in long, lazy circles. Eutopia reached for him and he went back to her arms, though his hand remained nestled between her legs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I've never done this before,' she whispered, still trembling against him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'It's ok,' Jinn whispered back gently, searching her dark eyes for any hint of hesitancy. 'We don't have to.' He smiled reassuringly at her, his hand lifting to run his fingers through her hair before he pulled her close to his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I want to though,' Eutopia added with another, slightly shy, smile. 'I want you.' She stretched up for the hand that he had removed, guiding it down the length of her body to settle it firmly between her thighs again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Jinn grinned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Then you shall have me.' He turned slightly, pressing himself against her and Eutopia instinctively reached down to grasp him, feeling his solid warmth nestled in her hand. She tugged gently to guide him between her legs and carefully, slowly, Jinn obliged. There was pain mingled with the pleasure she felt at having him inside her, sharp and hot beneath the sweetness. Her breath caught in her throat and Jinn stopped easing himself into her, letting her body adjust. He lay light, fluttering kisses across her eyelids, her nose, until Eutopia bucked her hips very slightly, eager to accommodate more of him. Her hands roamed across the flesh of his back, nails dancing across his buttocks as he thrust again, gently. Eutopia would never have believed her body could feel so much all at once, and there was a wave of pleasure to come that she could sense, just out of her reach. Jinn took her hands, lacing his fingers with hers so they lay palm to palm as he stretched her arms above her head, leaving her trembling again as he showered more kisses upon her flesh. He could feel the throb of her heart against his chest, drumming in time with his. He groaned softly, the tempo of his thrusting increased along with her sharp, rapid breathing, governed by the primal beat between them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I didn't think I would ever get to hold you in my arms again, Eutopia. I've not been the same without you, I never could be.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I'm here now,' she replied breathlessly. 'And I love you.' A warm blush crept into her cheeks, across her breasts, nipples tingling as they brushed against his chest with each thrust. She broke her hands free from his, letting her fingers walk down his spine to caress the curve of his rear. Gripping him with both hands Eutopia raised herself off the bed slightly, arching her back so that her hips met his each time he drew back to slide into her. She closed her eyes as the pleasure crept over everything she had previously felt. Her palms glided around to Jinn's smooth chest, pressing against him with enough force to make him draw back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Are you ok?' he muttered with concern. Eutopia smiled and sat up, pushing the hair from her dark, gleaming eyes that shone bright with a fiery desire as she nodded, raising herself up onto her knees to match his stance, before she pressed him back down onto his haunches and straddled him. Reaching down with one hand she guided his length back inside her as her other arm was flung around his neck. Both of Jinn's arms wrapped loosely around her, fingers gripping her hips as he let her control the rhythm now. It was a dance, the most ancient one that ever has been, and a beautiful one at that. They rocked together to music only they could hear, on into blissful silence that was broken occasionally by a soft moan or a gentle whimper, bodies united as one. Long tousled locks, dark as ebony, surrounded them both, wrapping them in the scent of the night and the subtle hint of something wild and flowery. Dark and light, angel and human./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia found her hips rocking with an urgency she had never experienced before, with a beat that she could no longer control, as an unfamiliar trickle of pleasure began to build in her muscles, washing over every limb. Jinn could feel her climax building as she tangled her hands in his hair and writhed in his lap with the sensation. Her skin glistened in the dying afternoon light of the room, soft and dewy. She cried out suddenly in delight, taken by surprise at the fierce intensity of feeling as she muffled the sound against his neck, waves of deliciousness crashed over her, through her, again and again. She panted, exhausted, and deftly shifted once more, though this time without untangling their limbs. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"With Jinn above her now she allowed him free reign as he had done for her. She was still wriggling as echoes of her bliss swept through her, tingling and warm, as his continued thrusts excited her still. She flung her lithe legs up, wrapping them tight around his waist to draw him in harder, faster and deeper. Jinn's eyes were black with delight as he joined her in her shivering moans, his eyes locked with hers as their ecstasy peaked and ebbed like the flow of the tide. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia smiled at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, her heart still thumped so loudly she thought she could hear it. Jinn kissed her lips deeply, moving to lay beside her as he reached out for the soft fur throw and covered them both with it. He cradled Eutopia to his chest, her tattooed back pressed against him as he breathed in the scent of her hair, smoothing it back from her face. Neither needed words since their actions had just spoken loud enough for them both. Never before had Eutopia felt so utterly and completely loved. She felt it surrounding her, deep in the clinch of the strong arms that held her so tenderly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Warm, snug and feeling so undeniably safe, it wasn't long before her long lashes had curled upon cheeks that she hadn't even noticed were once more damp with a trickle of tears, and she was pulled into a deep and dreamless sleep. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"When Eutopia woke, she had no idea how much time had passed. Theresa didn't have a clock in her bedroom, but someone had pulled the door completely closed. The curtains at the little window remained open but the sky outside was heavily tinted with a velvety blackness. They must have slept away the afternoon. She was still snuggled against Jinn's chest, her nude body adding to the warmth given off by his own naked form. His arm was still curled protectively around her prone figure and she found herself wondering why she had thought angels didn't sleep. Didn't everyone deserve a chance to dream? She turned in his grasp so she could study his peaceful face only to find the dark fathomless depths of his eyes upon hers. He reflected her smile right back at her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Hey, beautiful.' It was such a clichéd greeting that Eutopia found herself stifling a giggle by pressing her lips against his. And then they found each other again, skin hot against skin. Mouths, tongues, teeth, fingertips and wandering hands, they explored the little-known territory of each other long into the night./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Lurking behind the sweet, fiery passion, hanging like an unwelcome shadow between them, was the fact that at some point they would have to break away from each other and a decision would need to be made. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"The two women were sat in the small and sparsely furnished living room of Mike and Theresa's house. Jinn, his hulking frame squeezed into the only armchair, sat watching the small screen of Theresa's T.V that rested upon a low pine unit in the corner of the room. Mike was channel hopping in a seemingly mindless manner; short bursts of song mixed with the spoken lines and canned laughter from nameless American sitcoms. Eutopia was curled in the space between Mike and his mum, warm and cosy on the brown velour sofa that took up most of the remaining space in the room. Theresa's hands were entwined with Eutopia's and Eutopia rested her dark head against the woman's small, bony shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'But I don't know what it is that my heart is trying to say,' Eutopia practically whispered back, her sapphire eyes fixed upon Jinn's emotionless face as his own gaze remained resolutely glued to the screen. 'How can I do the right thing when I don't even know what that is?' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Well, sometimes even our hearts don't know what the right thing is until the wrong thing happens. It takes courage, so it does, to do something we fear to be wrong. But to make mistakes isn't always a bad thing. God will forgive those who come back to his fold. Do what you feel you must, but don't ever forget my door is always open to you.' A thoughtful silence settled upon the room, broken only by Mike's gruff chuckles as he finally settled on a re-run of a slapstick comedy Eutopia had never seen before. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Later, Jinn caught Eutopia alone in the kitchen after she had offered to make the next round of tea./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I will follow you,' he said, leaning against the countertop with folded arms as she stood beside the white plastic kettle, waiting for it to boil. 'I've waited too long for you to just let you walk away now.' Eutopia avoided his eyes by searching the cutlery drawer for a clean teaspoon. 'I know exactly what you're planning, Eutopia, I know your heart inside out, and it isn't safe. I will not let you go alone.' She slammed the drawer shut and gritted her teeth to keep her anger in check. With the swift fluidity that betrayed his angelic nature, Jinn had scooped her up in his arms and was halfway up the stairs before she could make any sound of protest. Jinn pressed her gently onto Theresa's bed, Eutopia's back against the pillows and his face only inches away from hers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'emListen /emto me,' he insisted, his eyes flashing with urgency. 'I emlove/em you. I will protect you with every last breath I have in my body because I have waited an eternity in the darkest depths of hell just to be with you again. It is not emsafe/em for you to find Will. I thought it might have been different this time but now I know he's Nephilim and he's somehow connected to Petra, I'd be signing your death warrant just by letting you walk out that door!'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'He's my brother!' was all Eutopia could manage, feeling like a stuck record. Jinn closed his eyes, fists clenched tight as he pushed himself away from her. He stood, his towering frame tensed for a moment before he turned his pleading indigo eyes upon her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Don't you see? This life, the one you've been given this time, it's following the same course as the life you had before?' Eutopia sat herself up a little more, drawing her knees up to her chest and pulling a soft cream coloured faux-fur throw over herself that Theresa kept at the end of the bed. 'Each life you have spirals on from the one before, like a shadow. You are following in Eirene's footsteps.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Eirene,' Eutopia breathed, her eyes wide and glassy at the strangely familiar name. Jinn softened at once and sat beside her, reaching out to stroke her dark hair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'It was different before. I was a guardian then, Eirene's guardian. Yours. Once you had made your choice the laws that govern my kind would not allow me to interfere, to physically stop you or change your mind. I could only become involved if it was by way of directly supporting you. I was helpless. I had to sit back and watch you walk to your death knowing there was nothing I could do about it. Things are different now. Because of the choices I made then for Eirene, for you, I was cast out from the ranks of the angels. I have not been allowed to return to Hiera and quite frankly, Eutopia, I wouldn't have done even if I had been able to because I knew I would find you again. I promised you we would meet in a better place, a good place and that's now. Here and now.'/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia bit her lip as she listened, the pain in Jinn's voice reflected deep in her sapphire eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Until I met you,' he continued, his hand sliding from her hair to caress her cheek, 'I never knew angels could feel pain. My heart broke when you died that day and that pain never abated until the moment I first laid eyes on you in that alleyway. But you were worth every splinter, every crack in my soul because it meant I got to share this moment with you again like I promised. We're in a better place now, Eutopia. I want us to stay here.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia's lips parted as she leant towards Jinn, her eyes sparkling with hot, unshed tears. The soft warmth of Jinn's mouth mildly surprised her as she kissed him. The silky throw slipped from her knees as she raised herself up from the bed enough to press her small frame against his hulking chest. Her arms slid around his neck as Jinn's arms wrapped around her waist, his large hand splayed out against the small of her back to pull her closer. When Eutopia pulled away, her cheeks were wet with tears and her lips slightly swollen from the intensity of the kiss. Her fingertips explored the smooth planes of his beautiful face as she shook her head and whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I think I knew you, all along I think I've known something about you.' She closed her eyes, laying her head upon his shoulder and pressing her lips to his neck as she smelt the night, the wind and the clouds captured in his scent. Tilting her head up, she placed a little kiss on his jaw before she stood up from the bed. Eutopia looked up at Jinn from beneath the heavy tangle of her dark hair, her eyes never leaving his as she reached up to slip the straps of her dress off. Deft fingers unclasped her bra and she bit her lower lip as she let the garments fall to the floor, standing before him in the puddle of her borrowed clothes, like a Venus perched on the crest of midnight blue waves. Her skin was smooth and perfect, unblemished, until she turned around… Extending from her shoulder blades, sweeping down to the small of her back were inked two beautiful, feathery wings. Delicately outlined, the black tattoo stark against her tawny skin, it was quite hypnotic. Jinn stood too, in awe as her gaze remained fixed on his from over her shoulder, despite his indigo eyes following the lace-like pattern. His hand reached slowly towards her back as though afraid his touch would be unwelcome, but Eutopia smiled with gentle encouragement. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'They're for you,' she said as the tips of his fingers began to slowly trace the graceful black lines inked forever on her skin. 'I don't think I ever did forget you, even though I didn't know I knew you.' She was sure now that it was Jinn who lingered brightly in the dreams she often had./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Jinn's own dreams of Eutopia had not done her justice at all, as he let his eyes rove over the delicate curves of her; the swell of her bare breasts, the arc of her hips. To Jinn, she was the epitome of beauty and it was all he could do to keep from flinging her back onto the bed in a passion. Instead, he lowered his mouth to her ear, one hand still lightly following the inky wings upon her back as the other reached round to stroke her cheek, cupping her chin and brushing her lips with his thumb./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I love you,' he muttered gently, before he began to lay kisses along the lines of her tattoo, from her shoulders all the way down to the base of her spine. He knelt behind her, his arms loose around her as his splayed hands reached for her exposed breasts. Eutopia gasped, eyes wide at the electric sensation his rough palms sent tingling through her as they ran over her nipples which instantly hardened into dusky pearls at his touch. His sweet kisses trailed back along her spine and she trembled as they found her neck. Eutopia turned in his arms to face him, her cheeks flushed with nervousness and desire as Jinn lay a kiss in the hollow between her breasts, his breath warm on her cool skin. His tongue found one nipple at first, then the other, licking at the small buds before drawing them into his mouth, each one in turn, to tease them out. Eutopia's head fell back slightly as she moaned at the delicious sensation, long tresses spilling over her shoulders and tumbling down her spine, forming a curtain behind which that glorious tattoo lay./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Jinn,' she breathed, her hands reaching out to run through his hair, down his neck to caress the strong muscles in his shoulders, feeling the long ridges beneath his skin from which she knew his own wings would sprout. He stood, gathering her to him so that her breasts pressed against him, chest to chest, and her legs lay either side of him as he cupped her rear. Her arms went around his neck as she kissed his lips again and pressed herself harder against him, every inch of her body yearning for contact with him, as though even an inch of space between their bodies would break whatever enchanted spell it was that had fallen upon them. He turned to lay her on the bed, more gently than he had initially. Jinn smiled at the slight pout of her lips as he gently broke her hold on him, peeling her arms from his neck so that he could stand back and shed his own clothes, discarding them on the floor alongside her dress. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Then it was Eutopia's turn to gaze at him in awe. She had never been with a man before and she found the strong, hard lines of his flawless flesh mesmerizing. He stood beside the bed for a moment in all his angelic nakedness, before he leaned down to lay beside her. One of his arms slipped beneath her head, drawing her closer as his other hand slid from her hip, across the plane of her stomach and over her ribs. Eutopia arched her back, pressing against his hand with yearning, like a cat seeking attention. Jinn could almost hear the thud of her racing heart as she reached out to mirror his caresses, hip to stomach to chest as their lips found each other once more. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I have waited an eternity for this,' he smiled softly. 'For you.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'So you keep saying,' she whispered back with a little grin, feeling her desire for him jangle every fibre in her being. Jinn shifted so that he was above her, his weight taken by each of his elbows as his head dipped down again to once more trail a line of kisses along her body. Feathery light, he lay each one upon the skin around her nipples, drawing them across the tops of her breasts and down towards her naval. Lower, lower he went, grazing across the top of her panties which sent a shiver down her spine and caused a little gasp of pleasure to escape her lips. Jinn brushed his kisses further down still, around the edges to her inner thighs before dragging them right across the black lace to where her want for him was obvious. Eutopia's thighs instinctively spread a little further, welcoming Jinn as he settled between her legs. One of his long fingers slipped beneath her panties at her hip as he tugged them down, exposing her completely. His hand cupped the heat there, thumb instantly finding the little bud of pleasure and beginning to stroke it in long, lazy circles. Eutopia reached for him and he went back to her arms, though his hand remained nestled between her legs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I've never done this before,' she whispered, still trembling against him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'It's ok,' Jinn whispered back gently, searching her dark eyes for any hint of hesitancy. 'We don't have to.' He smiled reassuringly at her, his hand lifting to run his fingers through her hair before he pulled her close to his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I want to though,' Eutopia added with another, slightly shy, smile. 'I want you.' She stretched up for the hand that he had removed, guiding it down the length of her body to settle it firmly between her thighs again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Jinn grinned./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Then you shall have me.' He turned slightly, pressing himself against her and Eutopia instinctively reached down to grasp him, feeling his solid warmth nestled in her hand. She tugged gently to guide him between her legs and carefully, slowly, Jinn obliged. There was pain mingled with the pleasure she felt at having him inside her, sharp and hot beneath the sweetness. Her breath caught in her throat and Jinn stopped easing himself into her, letting her body adjust. He lay light, fluttering kisses across her eyelids, her nose, until Eutopia bucked her hips very slightly, eager to accommodate more of him. Her hands roamed across the flesh of his back, nails dancing across his buttocks as he thrust again, gently. Eutopia would never have believed her body could feel so much all at once, and there was a wave of pleasure to come that she could sense, just out of her reach. Jinn took her hands, lacing his fingers with hers so they lay palm to palm as he stretched her arms above her head, leaving her trembling again as he showered more kisses upon her flesh. He could feel the throb of her heart against his chest, drumming in time with his. He groaned softly, the tempo of his thrusting increased along with her sharp, rapid breathing, governed by the primal beat between them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I didn't think I would ever get to hold you in my arms again, Eutopia. I've not been the same without you, I never could be.' /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'I'm here now,' she replied breathlessly. 'And I love you.' A warm blush crept into her cheeks, across her breasts, nipples tingling as they brushed against his chest with each thrust. She broke her hands free from his, letting her fingers walk down his spine to caress the curve of his rear. Gripping him with both hands Eutopia raised herself off the bed slightly, arching her back so that her hips met his each time he drew back to slide into her. She closed her eyes as the pleasure crept over everything she had previously felt. Her palms glided around to Jinn's smooth chest, pressing against him with enough force to make him draw back./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Are you ok?' he muttered with concern. Eutopia smiled and sat up, pushing the hair from her dark, gleaming eyes that shone bright with a fiery desire as she nodded, raising herself up onto her knees to match his stance, before she pressed him back down onto his haunches and straddled him. Reaching down with one hand she guided his length back inside her as her other arm was flung around his neck. Both of Jinn's arms wrapped loosely around her, fingers gripping her hips as he let her control the rhythm now. It was a dance, the most ancient one that ever has been, and a beautiful one at that. They rocked together to music only they could hear, on into blissful silence that was broken occasionally by a soft moan or a gentle whimper, bodies united as one. Long tousled locks, dark as ebony, surrounded them both, wrapping them in the scent of the night and the subtle hint of something wild and flowery. Dark and light, angel and human./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia found her hips rocking with an urgency she had never experienced before, with a beat that she could no longer control, as an unfamiliar trickle of pleasure began to build in her muscles, washing over every limb. Jinn could feel her climax building as she tangled her hands in his hair and writhed in his lap with the sensation. Her skin glistened in the dying afternoon light of the room, soft and dewy. She cried out suddenly in delight, taken by surprise at the fierce intensity of feeling as she muffled the sound against his neck, waves of deliciousness crashed over her, through her, again and again. She panted, exhausted, and deftly shifted once more, though this time without untangling their limbs. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"With Jinn above her now she allowed him free reign as he had done for her. She was still wriggling as echoes of her bliss swept through her, tingling and warm, as his continued thrusts excited her still. She flung her lithe legs up, wrapping them tight around his waist to draw him in harder, faster and deeper. Jinn's eyes were black with delight as he joined her in her shivering moans, his eyes locked with hers as their ecstasy peaked and ebbed like the flow of the tide. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Eutopia smiled at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath, her heart still thumped so loudly she thought she could hear it. Jinn kissed her lips deeply, moving to lay beside her as he reached out for the soft fur throw and covered them both with it. He cradled Eutopia to his chest, her tattooed back pressed against him as he breathed in the scent of her hair, smoothing it back from her face. Neither needed words since their actions had just spoken loud enough for them both. Never before had Eutopia felt so utterly and completely loved. She felt it surrounding her, deep in the clinch of the strong arms that held her so tenderly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Warm, snug and feeling so undeniably safe, it wasn't long before her long lashes had curled upon cheeks that she hadn't even noticed were once more damp with a trickle of tears, and she was pulled into a deep and dreamless sleep. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"When Eutopia woke, she had no idea how much time had passed. Theresa didn't have a clock in her bedroom, but someone had pulled the door completely closed. The curtains at the little window remained open but the sky outside was heavily tinted with a velvety blackness. They must have slept away the afternoon. She was still snuggled against Jinn's chest, her nude body adding to the warmth given off by his own naked form. His arm was still curled protectively around her prone figure and she found herself wondering why she had thought angels didn't sleep. Didn't everyone deserve a chance to dream? She turned in his grasp so she could study his peaceful face only to find the dark fathomless depths of his eyes upon hers. He reflected her smile right back at her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"'Hey, beautiful.' It was such a clichéd greeting that Eutopia found herself stifling a giggle by pressing her lips against his. And then they found each other again, skin hot against skin. Mouths, tongues, teeth, fingertips and wandering hands, they explored the little-known territory of each other long into the night./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"Lurking behind the sweet, fiery passion, hanging like an unwelcome shadow between them, was the fact that at some point they would have to break away from each other and a decision would need to be made. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 42.55pt;" /p