I walked over to read the labels. They were red, white, and purple, “I love them! Thank you so much. How much do I owe you for them?”
Marie laughed, “Jessica, you don’t owe us a thing. Don’t be silly, they are a gift. The guy said this one was a hybrid. Rayce snatched it up.” She smiled and pointed to the purple.
“A hybrid? I can’t wait to see it bloom.”
“I’m sure they will be gorgeous.”
Rayce came over to me and took me into his arms. He did make me happy. He had taken care of me for days while I was in my crazy funk. He kissed the top of my head, “Go put some clothes on, babe. I want you to see something.”
“Come upstairs with me,” I said to Marie and took her hand. I was in desperate need of girl talk.
She plopped down on my bed and crossed her legs, “What’s up?”
“You were right, Marie. Rayce is great. I like him a lot.” I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I wouldn’t lie to you. He is so much fun and way better for you than Gage will ever be,” she shivered in disgust.
“Agreed.” I opened my closet and stopped. “What sort of surprise does he have planned?”
“The kind that requires sweatpants,” she giggled.
“Oh, good,” I smiled and fished a rock band t-shirt and a pair of black sweats out of the closet. “Be right back,” I said and left her for a moment while I changed in the bathroom. I couldn’t dress in front of her yet. Her beauty made me self-conscious of my own. My body was rounder and she was a gorgeous tan beauty. I was a pale fish filet. I came out, sat down at my window seat to put my shoes on. “I have a serious question for you.”
“I may have an answer.”
“Do you think it’s safe to call Rayce my boyfriend?”
She laughed at my question, “I would hope so. He is obsessed with you.”
“Obsessed?” That word worried me a little. I had my fill of obsessive men.
“Not like crazy obsessed. Honestly, Jessica. That man loves you.”
I thought about her words for a moment. Rayce made me feel special and wanted. His desire for not only sex but to be around me was intense. I wanted him here. I wanted him forever. He was the perfect guy for me. There was no doubt about that. I looked up from tying my shoes and sighed, “I think I love him too.”
“I’m happy for you, Jessica. You deserve to be happy,” she smiled and stood from my bed. “Are you ready?”
I tied the last knot, “Yup.”
“Great, let’s go,” she said and opened my door.
The guys were waiting for us in the kitchen. Tank ran in and sniffed my clothes and barked. I knelt down and gave him a scratch before letting him outside.
I walked over to Rayce, sat down on his lap, and gave him a little kiss. As I hugged him and could feel my heart growing even more. He was a wonderful person, a fantastic lover, and an even better friend. He held me as if I was the only thing in his world and I loved that. I loved him.
“Are you ready to go, babe?” I loved it when he called me that. The first time he said it after I was attacked by Jade, I loved it. It seemed so natural and genuine coming from him. I nodded my head yes. Jay and Marie walked out of the back door and Tank came barreling inside. He licked my hand and ran to the living room.
Rayce took my face in his hands and pressed his lips against mine. His breath was hot inside my mouth. The fire between us was undeniable. It was a heat I would never shy away from. Our relationship was unique.
“I never imagined, well, I imagined it, but I never thought we would end up together.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance, babe.”
“If I would have known, it would have been sooner,” I admitted.
“I wish it were sooner.” He kissed me deeper. The way his mouth felt against mine was out of this world tasty. I could kiss him for days.
Our friends were outside waiting for us. I regrettably pulled out of the kiss, “They are waiting.”
He groaned into my chest, nestling his face between my breasts. “Do we have to go? Can’t I take you up to bed instead?”
“As tempting as that sounds, this is your surprise, Mr.”
He snickered and kissed me one more time before lifting me off his lap. “You’re right. Time to go,” he stopped before opening the door, “We will continue this later.”
“I hope so,” I said softly and ran one finger down his chest and pulled at the hem of his jeans.
Outside, Jay and Marie were in their own embrace. Where hellhounds complete horn-dogs?
“Time to go,” Rayce stated as he opened the truck door and helped me into the back seat. The couple broke apart and finally joined us. Jay turned the key and backed out of the driveway.
Twenty minutes later, we entered the town of Blackwater. It was a small town right off the highway. If you blinked, you would miss it. Smaller than my own and didn’t have anything more than a truck stop convenience store and a burger place. I wondered what kind of surprise would involve Blackwater.
Moments later, we turned down a smooth blacktop road. That was unusual for a town this small. There weren’t any bumps in the road as we traveled down it. Thick trees grew on each side of the one lane road.
We slowed down and I tried to take in our surroundings. We pulled up and stopped in front of a nice home. It was an old Colonial style. Not that pretty but lovely. Rayce kissed my hair and exited the truck with Jay. Marie stayed with me.
“Where are we?”
“We are sending that bastard a message,” she nodded toward the house.
I looked back at the grand home and gasped. Gage was living it up. I didn’t need to ask why he lied about not having a home. I knew he moved in on me so he could get the best of Rayce. He lied to me and I fell for it.
Jay opened the tailgate and the guys both began to unload Gage’s boxes. They didn’t contain much. Bathroom needs and clothes. Jay marched back and grabbed a gas can from the bed of the truck. He poured the contents all over the top. He looked up at Rayce, nodded, and walked away.
I watched closely as Rayce pulled a cigarette out of his pack and lit it. He took a couple of drags in his usual cool manner with one hand in his pocket. He took the smoke and flicked it onto the boxes. They burst into flames. As old memories of Gage burned, Rayce flipped the house the bird for several seconds. The flames were huge and I could only see the mass of his body against the orange glow.
He walked back to the truck and got in. As we drove away, I couldn’t help but feel like Gage was watching us from one of the large windows.
When we pulled into my driveway, Rayce leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’m going to get him, babe.”
The thought of Rayce getting hurt, only to avenge me was overwhelming. I hated to admit it, but if Gage drank vampire blood, he had an advantage over Rayce. I didn’t like the odds. I also couldn’t think of how the relationship between Rayce and Jay would be ruined if he killed his brother. Jay had to love his brother, on some level. I didn’t expect that to stop because of me.
“No,” I said softly. The small space of the truck grew quiet for a moment.
“What do you mean, no?” Rayce stroked the side of my arm. His touch was always tender.
“It’s not your problem,” I stated. “Can you guys give us a few minutes?”
“Sure,” Marie nodded. Jay killed the truck and they stepped out. I watched them walk into the house before I started talking.
“I don’t think any of this is a good idea. Maybe you should leave it alone, Rayce.”
“What do you mean?”
“Rayce, I have to take full responsibility for all of my actions and that includes me putting myself into this position. None of this would have happened if I didn’t welcome him into my home.”
He looked at me with confusion on his face, shaking his head no. “Jessica, none of this is your fault. Yes, you made a choice and yes, it was a bad one. But you can’t blame yourself for the way he treated you or the problems he has,
” he clarified.
“I love your passion, but you can’t change my mind about this. What I did was foolish and I regret it. Does what he did call for a death sentence?” Gage’s death was not the one looming on my mind. Rayce meant too much to me. I couldn’t bear it if he weren’t in my life.
He caressed my cheek with his knuckles, “Babe, I will not let him hurt you again. That bastard has corrupted your mind and your heart. He has tainted you.” He sighed and shook his head, “None of this is your fault. The one who is at fault is me.”
“You? How do you figure?”
“If I would have taken responsibility and stepped up to the plate as a leader, none of this would have happened. He told me to stay away from you and I listened when I shouldn’t have.”
“Rayce, you can’t blame yourself. You were only a child,” I paused and thought about the many times I could have been with him but Gage put a stop to it. It infuriated me. All that precious time we could have spent together. My life could have been different. “I had no idea you had the slightest interest in me. I thought you hated me.”
He caressed my cheek, “I could never hate you.”
“I didn’t know he told you to stay away from me. It hurts me because I wish I could have gotten to know you better, sooner,” I said sadly. “When did this happen?”
“I had my eye on you for months. Like an idiot, I told Gage and he ordered me to stay away. After you started seeing each other, he came into the office with his hand on his dick and was laughing about how he understood my attraction toward you. He wanted you because I wanted you.”
I was disgusted by the thought of Gage doing that to Rayce to spite him, and to prove he had won. I remembered the scars on his body and I knew then it has always been a competition for Gage to get the better of him. I looked down at my hands again and picked my nails.
“I understand how you feel. Gage has treated you like shit for years and done everything he could to get the better of you. I hate him for it.”
He took my hands in his, “Jessica, look at me.” I lifted my head and I could feel the burning of tears in my eyes. “I love you, Jessica. I have for a long time. If he touches you again, I promise it will be the last time he does so.”
“You love me?”
He smiled and nodded his head slowly. “I don’t care if you don’t love me back yet. It’s okay.”
Marie might have told me but hearing him say those words overwhelmed me with joy. I put my hand on the back of his head and kissed him. His mouth was hot against mine. I could kiss him all night long if I wasn’t so turned on. He put his arms around me and pulled me closer to his body. His heat was extreme. In one swift move, he laid me down in the seat of the truck and kissed me harder. I moved my legs so I could wrap them around his waist.
He put his arms around my neck and kissed me. His torturous lips moved from mine to my jaw line and down my neck. I turned my head away from him and his teeth touched my tender skin.
“Rayce,” I whispered.
He stopped and pulled away from my neck. I looked at him, he was panting. I could feel his temperature rising. His eyes were on fire. He wanted to bite but was fighting it. I placed my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to me. He tried to pull away from me but I held on to him with my hand and my legs. I moved my hips against him and I could feel his body responding to it. His hands were on my hips and he started to pull me hard into his stiffening cock.
I put my arms up above my head and looked deep into his eyes, I wanted him. I kicked off my shoes and put my legs back around him. He was working hard against me, then his fingers slid under the hem of my sweat pants and pulled them down. He touched me and slid a finger between my wet folds.
My eyes rolled back as he plunged one digit inside me. One hand slid up to my left breast. I had to have him. I sat up the best I could, unbuttoned his jeans, and pushed them down his hips. His body was hard and warm, his fever was burning. I sat up a little, pushed up his shirt and took a nipple in my mouth. He put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me closer.
“Bite me a little, babe,” he whispered. I did and he released a primal sound from his chest that made me nearly climax at that very moment. I took him in my hand and stroked his shaft slowly at first until he put his head back with pleasure. I picked up the pace. I thought he was close to coming in my hand and against my breasts. He grabbed my wrist and looked down at me with fire in his eyes, “Babe,” he growled, trying to control himself.
I licked my lips and kissed the head of his cock softly. My hand moved faster up and down his shaft. A single drop of precum seeped out. My tongue flicked out and tasted him. He grabbed me by my shoulders and shoved me down into the seat. That excited me to no end. I quickly pulled my sweats down and kicked them off.
I pulled him down on top of me. “I want you now.” He shifted his hips between my thighs and thrust into me hard. I gasped as pain and pleasure coursed through me. I was in heaven as he thrust again. He lifted my legs onto his shoulders and drove himself deeper inside my core.
“Oh, Rayce. That feels amazing,” I panted deeply. He filled me to the brim and I was going to explode. I found my climax with only a few more strokes. My legs grew weak and hung over his strong arms as he worked inside me.
He leaned down and kissed me, moving to my tender neck. He was driving me crazy. I had never been fucked like this before, so much passion and heat. His teeth grazed my skin again and I wanted more. Every nerve ending in my body was firing.
“Make me yours,” I whispered as my body pulsed.
“Is this what you want, babe?”
I was already his in every way. There was no turning back from the passionate future we had in store, “You are all I need and want.”
He let my legs down and I began to stroke my clit as he watched. His thrusts grew frantic. He leaned down and licked my skin, thrust hard inside me, and bit down on the tender flesh of my neck. I could feel my muscles contract around his girth. Tears rolled from the corners of my eyes as my body exploded in pleasure.
He did not move from my neck and thrust inside me harder and harder. He was pounding relentlessly now. He thrust his head up and drove his release deep inside me. He collapsed on top of me and I raked my fingers through his hair and kissed him. I could taste my blood on his mouth. He rested his head on my chest and took a deep breath and let it out.
“You were my first, babe,” he said breathing heavily.
“It didn’t feel like I was your first the other night.”
He laughed into my neck and then he licked the bite wound, “You are my first claim.” He lifted his head and smiled but it faded quickly.
“Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, Jessica,” he stated and wiped my tears with his thumbs. “Shit.”
I smiled and released a giggle, “No, you didn’t hurt me. I’m so happy.”
“I have never cared about anyone enough to call them mine. I’m happy it is you,” he said softly. He smiled and kissed me again. He helped pull my pants back up and he zipped his jeans. I sat up next to him and he pulled me close to him. My heart was swelling with an intense passion for this man.
My bliss was short lived as I heard Tank barking. I scanned my backyard for anything out of the ordinary. I saw nothing but darkness. I thought it strange, but Jay would let him out. I had to tell Rayce exactly what I was feeling in that moment.
“Rayce, I…” At that moment, his door was jerked open and he was pulled out of my arms. It was Gage. He held Rayce by the throat and slammed him to the ground. I was in shock. Frozen with fear. “Fuck,” I whispered. Gage looked at me enraged. The sight of him had washed all joy from my mind and heart. I tried to move to the other side of the truck but he grabbed me by the ankle. He was trying to pull me out of the truck. “No.”
Rayce grabbed him from behind, wrapped his arm around his neck, and pulled him off me. “I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch,” Rayce growled while pulling Gage to the ground.
Gage elbowed him in
the ribs and pulled away from him quickly. He stood over him and kicked him in the face.
“Rayce,” I bellowed. I climbed over the seat into the front, but before I could hit the horn for help, Gage turned around. He opened the passenger door and grabbed me again. He climbed in on top of me, took a handful of my hair, and pulled my head back. I could feel his want pressing against me. He was going to take me right in the front seat of the truck while Rayce lied motionless on the cold ground. He started to pull my pants down with frantic hands as I hit him in the chest. My nightmare was becoming real.
Suddenly, he stopped. I looked up into his eyes and they were filled with rage as they burned at the sight of the bite Rayce had given me. “You bitch,” he said enraged and grabbed my throat.
My face grew tight as air was constricted. It felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head. I reached my hand up to the horn and pressed it with only my fingertips. It didn’t work at first. I was growing weak. I tried again and I was lucky enough to have the strength to press it with my middle fingers. The sound echoed in my ears.
“Why?” he bellowed. “I’m going to kill him,” he growled and released me. I choked for air as he jumped out of the truck.
“NO!” I screamed. I knew Gage was stronger than Rayce due to the blood he consumed. Gage reached for him but couldn’t get his hands on him before Jay came tearing out of the house. He rushed up to his brother and pushed him hard in the chest, keeping him away from Rayce.
Marie opened the driver side door and pulled me out. Gage was crouched down, ready to attack his own brother. I was frantic because I couldn’t see Rayce. Marie was trying to pull me away from the scene when I saw Rayce in his massive hellhound form jump on Gage’s back, knocking him to the ground. He used his sharp teeth and bit down on the spot between his neck and his shoulder. Gage screamed in pain and Rayce released his bite. Blood gushed like a geyser onto the grass. He reached for his shoulder and stood, he said something to his brother and Rayce before he ran away.
I pulled away from Marie and ran around the truck. The grass was covered in blood. I stopped and Rayce was standing in front of me in his hellhound form. Gage’s blood was dripping from his onyx teeth and his eyes, they were filled with fury. His body was vibrating with energy. “It’s alright, baby,” I whispered. I looked back at Jay, “What do I do?”
Hunting Jessica Page 18