by C. D. Gorri
“Did you now?” he grinned at the way she shrugged, “Are you flirting with me now, beautiful?”
“Well, after what we just did, maybe I am a little late with the flirting,” she added as she studied the box, “I can read some of the hieroglyphs, but the rest don’t seem Egyptian.”
“Here let me take a picture and send it to someone who can help us out. You said the guy you awakened is a Demon?”
“Yes. His name is Medjed. This symbol here is his hieroglyph,” she pointed to one and Jasper cocked his head to the side.
“I can see why you said it resembled a dildo. But with feet and eyes,” he grunted.
Carolina’s face burned bright red and for a moment he felt that old green-eyed monster on his shoulders. She cleared her throat and seemed to look anywhere but at him. Jasper was a patient man, some of the time anyway, so he crossed his arms and waited for her eyes to find him once more.
“Okay, look, I don’t owe you any explanations, buddy. One romp on a kitchen counter doesn’t make us married. Anyway, I never touched the guy, but he was a little naked when I kind of set him free, and I suppose you could say there is a reason he’s depicted as a, well, a huge cock with eyes and feet.”
Jasper’s growl filled the room. Okay, maybe he wasn’t as mature as he’d like to think. So his mate had seen this guy’s dick. Big fucking deal. Only, it seemed to be a really big fucking deal. Literally.
“Hey,” she snapped her fingers in his face, “I was married for three years to a man who thought I was too fat to have sex with. He never said it but he never touched me and his idea of a birthday present was an elliptical machine. I am single now and I am not going to be sorry for finally enjoying my sexuality.”
“What does that have to do with anything? Did you fuck this Demon?”
“Really? Oh, that is classy! Look, you big Shifter jerk, in the last forty-eight hours I’ve had a Demon claim that he wants me as his bride, and then I’ve got you being all sexy calling me ‘mine’ with your head between my legs and your tongue up my vajay-jay! Now, I am not saying I was pressured or tricked, far from it, I wanted that just as much as you, and hell, maybe I needed it more than you did too, but I am still my own woman. I don’t have to answer to you or any man.”
“Caro-”
“Be quiet. It is not your turn to talk. But I’ll tell you something about me, Mr. Body Beautiful, I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, and I don’t jump from one man’s bed to the next no matter how big his cock is!”
“Shit,” he ran a hand over his face. He needed to calm down, “I’m sorry, Carolina,” he watched her rapid breathing return to what he thought was normal before she huffed out a breath and stood up from her position on the floor.
“Just forget it. What happened before was obviously a mistake. Call your friend while I take a shower and get ready for bed, I’m not hungry, but if you want food there is some in the fridge. I have a contact I can call tomorrow about the other images on the box. Goodnight.”
“Caro,” he said and reached out a hand towards her only to drop it.
Her back was towards him and he had to watch her sassy little ass walk out of the room. Great, he was hard again and doomed to the bluest balls he’d ever had if her goodnight was as final as it sounded. The slam of her door confirmed that.
Well, shit. He’d fucked that up. Jasper had never felt so cold and alone in his life. He had royally pissed off the most important person in the world to him and he needed to fix it. But first things first. Her safety mattered the most at this time.
Reinforcing the alarms that Jennifer already had surrounding the cabin and checking the alarm system he’d set about the perimeter were only two of the steps he would be taking to keep Carolina secure.
Whatever that thing was, it had gotten all the way to the door before he heard it coming. That was way too close. He would see her safe first, then he would talk to her about what it meant to be his fated mate. And of course, he would apologize for being a dick.
His father had always called him impulsive and hardheaded. For the first time in his life, he was inclined to agree with the old man. His chest squeezed with pain as he thought about the limited time he had to spend with the man who’d raised him.
He grabbed his cell and took a few photos of the Egyptian box before sending them to James Brock, an agent with the Federal Paranormal Unit. The guy was also a very powerful Dragon Shifter with a half-Demon side that could prove useful to Jasper in this case.
The Wyvern Protection Unit’s official capacity was as a liaison for the FPU, so he knew the man well enough to trust him. His cell phone rang just as the water to the shower came on.
Fuck, she was pissed. Hopefully, he could make it up to her. Jasper sighed and answered the call.
“Where did you get the box?”
“Hello to you too Brock,” he said, “uh, well, it’s a long story. My mate-”
“You have a mate? Shit, send her my condolences.”
“Thanks, bro, real way to show some compassion. How is the lovely Cyn? Missing me I bet,” he snarked.
“You come near my mate, and I’ll roast your puny lizard ass for an after dinner snack,” growled Brock.
“Ouch, man really? Guess size is the most important thing to you bigger Dragons so you don’t have to rely on skill-”
The resounding snarl told him he’d pushed too far and Jasper grew serious. This was new territory for him.
“Look, man, I am sorry, okay? The woman I am guarding is my mate, but she doesn’t know it. No disrespect meant to you or Cyn. Anyway, she needs help.”
“I can see that based on the Demonspeak glyphs.”
“The what?”
“It’s like the common language for Demons. Anyway it’s basically posturing, like he’s saying ‘I’m a badass, don’t fuck with me’ type shit. Who is he? Why is he after her?”
“She inadvertently woke up an ancient Egyptian Demon on a dig. He looks like a dildo?”
“Medjed? Oh, fuck, I’ve heard of him. He’s a guard dog for the god Osiris. The dude’s a warrior, man. What did she do to piss him off?” Brock asked.
“Actually, he claims she is his bride,” growled Jasper.
“Ah, that makes sense then. What you have there, by the way, is a puzzle box. Demons are fond of them. It’s like his idea of a little love token. Once she figures out which keys to press, it will open and she will find her real gift inside. I would advise against that.”
“Why?”
“Because when a gift is accepted, it’s symbolic. It means the woman has agreed to the proposal.”
“Like fucking hell,” growled Jasper.
“Easy there, I suggest you tell her how you feel first, then explain the significance of the box. And if you need back up, just call,” Brock clicked off, and Jasper dropped the phone on the couch in frustration.
He followed the sound of running water to the back guest bathroom where Carolina was currently taking a shower. He made sure her windows were locked and the alarm system was on before continuing around the house.
He wanted her to be as secure as possible when he wasn’t in the same room with her, and judging from how she’d left earlier, he doubted that would be anytime soon. He grabbed his gear and set up his laptop in the living room to better monitor the surveillance cameras.
Jasper knew one thing for sure as he listened for the sounds of his sweet mate getting ready for bed. He would not be getting a wink of sleep that night.
Grrr.
Chapter 7
OH MY GAH! I’m Slutty McSlut-face! Carolina wiped the fog from the mirror and took a good look at herself.
What she saw was not impressive. Sigh. Thirty-seven years old, but still, she had good skin and nice hair. She was plump, but she was not saggy. Not yet anyway.
Most importantly, she was self-sufficient. Some might even say the artist was independently wealthy.
She’d never been what you would call rash or impulsive with men, and yet within an hou
r of meeting her new bodyguard she had been naked and splayed on a counter while he sucked her most intimate body parts. Crap. Just thinking about it was making her hot all over again.
Okay, things like that just didn’t happen to her. Was she under some kind of Shifter spell? She didn’t even know what kind of creature he was. What animal he could shift into. She only knew he was one of them.
Being one of the few normals in the world to actively acknowledge and admit to the truth that paranormals existed in today’s society, Carolina had always thought she was really openminded and accepting. Hell, most humans could not even tell a supernatural from a normal. And when they did they either opposed them or ignored them.
Hate and intolerance were not things she understood or even tried to. Variety was the spice of life, at least in her artist’s mind. It kept things interesting. An eternal student, she loved to learn about different cultures and traditions. She used them in her art.
It was the same for Shifters as far as she was concerned. Yes, they were different from regular humans, but so what? That was awesome in her opinion.
She’d known Jennifer was an Owl Shifter since grade school. Dozens of friends and colleagues over the year had been Shifters too. Caro was not prejudiced against anyone. Except maybe assholes. She disliked all assholes equally.
Still, Jasper was apart from all the rest. She’d never wanted to ride any of them into the sunset. Nope. Just him.
Tall and big, drop-dead gorgeous, Jasper Wessex was the embodiment of everything she’d ever found sexy in her entire life. Spikey black hair, amber-gold eyes, full lips, tanned skin, and a deep, pleasant voice that made her shiver in anticipation.
What else could she have possibly done when he’d flashed those smoldering eyes and that panty-wetting grin at her? Okay. Maybe she should have tried to resist him. He was obviously a bad boy, used to getting what he wanted and she had given right in.
Shit. Just her luck to lose all self-control around the most dangerous male she had ever seen in her life. Even more so than the walking dildo.
She snorted at the apt description. Obviously, ancient Egyptians were funny as hell. Sigh. Still, it wasn’t nice. She didn’t know anything about Medjed. No one did.
Except for that whole shrouding the world in darkness thing, he might actually be a nice, decent sort of Demon. Not that she wanted to marry the guy.
Hellooo. Been there. Done that.
Joffrey may have inadvertently done a number on her self-esteem, but the truth was he wasn’t a bad guy. Still, she was in no rush to replace him with some egotistical jerk. So, what if he’d made her come harder than any other man in her life. She had toys, she didn’t need him.
Carolina had always stood on her own two feet. Being an artist was not an easy profession, and even with her creative juices flowing, it took a lot of work. She’d had to beg and plead in the beginning to get galleries to show her sculptures.
Even blessed with good friends in positions to help, it had not been easy. Her parents had been patrons of the art, and many of their friends, including Caro’s own godmother who happened to own art gallery, were as well. Carolina had been lucky, she knew it, but it was still work.
She was grateful for everyone who had helped along the way, and she was happy beyond imagination to be able to do the work she loved. Most parents didn’t want to hear their kids say they wanted to be artists when they grew up, but Caro’s were always supportive.
Figuring she owed it to them, she studied hard and worked her butt off. Failing a thousand times before finding that right bit of inspiration. She’d been blessed to create art that was sellable in the current climate and had made a small name for herself in the process.
Her professional life was golden. But that reminded her of that old saying, lucky at work, unlucky at love. That was Carolina to a T. From being cast aside by her ex, she now had two men vying for her attentions.
Although, maybe men was the wrong word? Fuck, if she knew. It was hard to stay PC in these times. But still, two suitors, aha that was a good word, when she had zero before made this a very interesting week for her.
“And then there were two,” she hummed to herself as she grabbed her iPad and started researching everything she could on Medjed.
Hmm. Research was one of her favorite past times. It helped her select the right subjects for her art. Right now, she was going to use it to maybe save her from being some sort of sacrificial bride.
“Medjed, Medjed, where are you?” she spoke softly as she googled him.
The fucker was not exactly known as the ‘big dick Demon’ widely, but she still giggled whenever she found an image of his hieroglyph.
Ancient Egyptians must have been fun as hell at parties. No wonder she wanted to do sculptures on their ennead. That’s what the Egyptian pantheon of gods was called.
Hmm. Thinking of another well-endowed specimen who happened to be just in the other room, she wondered if maybe she should do a study on Shifters as well?
Dang it. The last thing she wanted was to think about that sexy jerk. She decided to message Jennifer to let her know what was going on instead.
Hey Jenn, Your boy arrived and is keeping me on lockdown. We had an uninvited visitor once so far tonight. Nothing happened.
-C
Jasper updated me. So, are you two getting along?
-J
Yes. Yeah. Why? What did he say?
-C
Um, hello, what are we in 5th grade?
-J
Come on, spill. I just want to know if he said anything about me.
-C
Ugh, Caro, I am his handler. Please don’t tell me you already had sex with him? Never mind. Don’t tell me anything at all. No gross details. I have to work with the man for fuck’s sake.
-J
Since when do I kiss and tell? Besides, you mean Shifter though, right Jenn? Not man.
-C
Yes. I mean Shifter. What did he tell you?
-J
Um, hello, nothing. Why do you think I’m talking to your bitchy ass? Seriously though, how bad would it be if I kinda liked him?
-C
Idk, Caro. Does he like you?
-J
I sorta got that impression.
-C
Did he bite you, Caro?! This is important. Tell me.
-J
No. Why? Is he like some kinky freak?
-C
What? Ew. Idk. No biting, okay? I’ll talk to you soon. Stay safe.
-J
Carolina stretched and laid down on top of the handmade quilt that adorned the queen-sized bed in Jennifer’s guest bedroom. It was quite luxurious, but somehow managed to maintain that cozy cottage feel. Not the average little cabin by any means.
She’d been there to visit with Jennifer a few times. Though, truth be told, not as much as she’d have liked. Joffrey had a thing about the outdoors. As in, he hated them.
It was so odd now. They’d been living apart for more than a year now. She’d expected to feel something when she’d signed those papers a few months ago, but all she felt was relief.
It had been easy peasy. Maybe too easy. Was Carolina unable to feel emotions? That couldn’t be right. After all, she certainly felt something with her bodyguard a few hours ago.
Incidentally, that was part of the reason she was still awake. There were only two rooms in the cabin. She wouldn’t take Jennifer’s because well, it was hers and she didn’t feel right doing that.
Would he? Was he lying down right now in another woman’s bed? Even if that woman wasn’t there, it struck her as fundamentally wrong. Carolina frowned. Geez, she didn’t own the guy just because he made her come.
She huffed out a breath and turned on her side. Closing her eyes tight, she willed herself to go to sleep. But she just had to know. She tiptoed to the door and cracked it open.
The sounds of him moving about the living room reached her ears. She saw his shadow rise as if he’d stood up from where he�
�d been sitting. On the couch, it looked like. A small smile began to spread across her face as she returned to her own bed.
He wasn’t in Jennifer’s room. He was in the living room. To protect and keep her safe from harm. But who was going to keep her heart safe from falling for him?
A tiny sliver of fear raced up her spine. She didn’t relish the idea of losing her heart over the man. Mostly what she felt was anxious, antsy, and downright nervous as fuck. So much so, that Carolina’s heart felt like it was going to pound right out of her chest.
Shit. She hadn’t felt this way since she thought she was in love with her English teacher, Mr. Rosso, in sixth grade.
Carolina sighed and closed her eyes, but she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 8
Jasper set a large pot of coffee to brewing and sliced some fruit while he waited for the quiche to finish cooking in the oven.
He hoped Carolina would enjoy the spinach and swiss cheese quiche with his own herbed crust. It was a specialty of his, one he enjoyed making.
Those ingredients were among what was available in the newly stocked fridge, along with a ridiculously large bag of jelly beans, he thought with a grin, so she must be fond of them.
It had been quiet throughout the night. No hide nor hair of any ghostly Demon showed up during his watch. A mama black bear strayed a little close to the cabin, but she’d left once he’d shown her his Wyvern.
He would never hurt a wild animal, but people and bears shouldn’t mix. It was a recipe for disaster. He’d used his own beast as a means to dissuade her from hanging around with her two adorable cubs.
After that, he’d had a rather stilted text conversation with his handler, Jennifer, who’d all but warned him off her friend. He didn’t mention the fact that Carolina was his mate and leaving her alone was the last thing he planned on doing.