by I. T. Lucas
“Any more trash?” he asked as he got back inside.
“That was the last one.”
A mop in one hand and a bucket in the other, Sharon shooed them away. “I need you guys out of the living room. And don’t come back until the floor is dry. I’m not mopping it again.”
Perfect excuse to grab Tessa and go. “My lady?” He offered her his arm. “The beach awaits.”
She threaded her arm through his.
“Leave your shoes outside when you come back. Whoever drags sand into the house does the floors from now on.” She pointed at them with the mop. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!”
“Bossy, that Sharon,” he said after closing the front door behind him.
The sun had set already, but Venice’s streets were well illuminated, and so was the boardwalk. The crazies that loved hanging out there at night might scare Tessa, but they were harmless. Besides, with him at her side, she had nothing to fear.
Tessa shrugged. “Sharon hates everything to do with housekeeping. She took the floor mopping because it needs to be done only once a week.”
“So everyone has chores?”
“Yes. Mine are dusting every day and cleaning the fridge once a week. Nick takes out the garbage and takes care of whatever needs to be done with the cars. We take turns washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, and everyone does their own laundry and cleans their own room and bathroom.”
“What about Eva?”
“Eva is working her butt off to pay for everything, but she still takes turns in the kitchen and cleans her own room. Sometimes she is so overworked that I sneak in and do it for her. She pretends to be mad about it, but I know she appreciates the help.”
“You love her.”
“I do. I owe her my life. If not for Eva, I would be dead, or wish I was.”
Jackson spotted a vacant bench and steered Tessa toward it. “I like sitting here and watching the waves,” he said.
She sat down beside him, close, her thigh touching his. “I love the sound of the ocean.”
Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around her. When she stayed within his loose embrace, her body not tensing and her breathing even, Jackson closed his eyes and offered a quick thanks to the Fates. In the short time they’d known each other, Tessa had made tremendous progress. He was well aware that the road to recovery was still long and full of potholes, but this gave him hope.
In a moment like that, bringing up her past was the last thing Jackson wanted to do, but he felt he had to. Waiting for a better opportunity was a luxury he couldn’t afford. As long as those monsters were out there with no one doing anything to stop them, more kids were going to suffer just as Tessa had.
“I want to ask your permission for something.”
Tessa tensed and the sweet moment was lost. “To do what?”
“I have a cousin who is a big shot with lots of resources and connections. Last year our cousin Carol was kidnapped, and he mobilized an army to rescue her.”
“Did he succeed?”
Jackson chuckled. “He was too late. She had someone from the inside help her escape. But he freed a lot of other girls who were held against their will.”
Tessa shivered. “Slavers?”
“In a way. They kidnapped girls for their own use, not to sell. But it’s just as bad.”
“What did your cousin do to the kidnappers?”
“Some were killed, others imprisoned.”
“How come it didn’t make the news?”
Damn, him and his big flapping mouth. Now he needed to lie to her. “That’s the thing. It was a private operation, and no police were involved.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want to talk to him about your case. I want to go after those monsters who hurt you and take them out, but I can’t do it on my own. Hell, I wouldn’t know where to start.”
She turned sideways and looked into his eyes. “I don’t want you going anywhere near them, Jackson.”
He took her hand and kissed it back. “I’m not a warrior. As much as I would’ve loved to put my hands on the scum, I know that others are much better at this than I could ever be. I would only get in their way. Maybe if I start training now, I could be of some marginal help in ten years or so.”
Tessa tilted her head and brought her palm to his forehead. “Are you feverish? You’re talking nonsense. Ten years to train? Not that I want you to train at all, but even elite commandos don’t take so long.”
He was such an idiot. “I meant ten months. I heard that seal’s training takes that long.”
Tessa relaxed. “That sounds more reasonable.”
“So how about it? Can I tell Kian? I don’t need to get into the specifics, or even mention your name. I just want him to get involved.” With only two new potential Dormants, Sharon and Tessa, Kian was going to figure it out in a nanosecond.
Twisting the bottom of her shirt between her fingers, Tessa dropped her head, her hair falling forward and obscuring her face. “I don’t know why your big shot cousin would want to get involved in this. Those are dangerous people. And even if he finds a reason to do it, I don’t think he can make a difference. People don’t realize how widespread this evil is. If he takes one organization out, two will sprout to take its place.”
“It needs to start somewhere, and Kian is the only one I know who can make it happen.”
She shook her head, her brown wavy hair swaying with the movement. “I can’t say no. Even if one girl is saved, it’s worth it. But I don’t want your family to feel sorry for me, to look at me as if I’m damaged goods.”
Jackson squeezed her hand lightly. “I will talk to him in private. He will not tell anyone if I ask him not to.” Tessa was willing to cooperate. Maybe he could convince her to take it one step further. “To spur him into action, I need to make him angry, furious, and I’m starting to think that a diluted version about some hypothetical girl is not going to do it.”
When Tessa lifted her head and looked at him, what he saw in her eyes weren’t the tears he’d been expecting, it was the need for vengeance. “Do you want me to come with you and tell him myself?”
Jackson shook his head. As it was, getting a private meeting with Kian was going to be tricky. The clan’s regent wouldn’t want to waste his time on a teenager. Bringing a human along, even a potential Dormant, guaranteed that he’d be refused audience.
“I don’t think it will be needed. You know how convincing I can be.”
Tessa chuckled. “With women. I don’t think your charm would work on your big boss cousin.”
She had a point.
Chapter 11: Bhathian
Done with the living room, Sharon entered the kitchen with an annoyed expression on her face. Eva and Bhathian were in her way. She wanted them gone.
Eva chuckled. “Let’s get out of here before Sharon chases us away with her mop.” Grabbing the last bottle of Snake’s Venom from the counter, she took hold of Bhathian’s hand and pulled him toward the stairs.
Casting a grateful smile at Sharon, he followed Eva. The girl had provided them with the perfect excuse to continue the party in the privacy of Eva’s room. Just the two of them. Throughout the afternoon, as he’d watched Eva schmoozing, looking so sexy and sophisticated, he’d fantasized about throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to the nearest bed, caveman style.
Bhathian loved that she was a lady outside the bedroom and a wild tigress inside it. Even more, he loved being the only one who got to see that other side of her. With him, Eva shed her civilized façade and let her inner immortal female out.
He couldn’t wait to get her alone and make her scream his name as she came. Good thing her crew was human, for now, because he was planning on making lots of noise.
Climbing the stairs behind her, he was transfixed by her magnificent ass swaying from side to side. Eva looked good enough to eat in her tight black leggings and white button up shirt that was too sheer for his taste. It was fine for h
im to ogle the curve of her breasts encased in one of her designer bras, but not for anyone else.
Once he was sure no one could see them, he palmed both of Eva’s butt cheeks and squeezed.
She turned around with a smirk.
“With you dangling that ass of yours in front of me, I can’t help myself.’
“I like your hands on me.” Laughing, she let him push her up by the ass all the way to her room. “You can let go now.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Yes, you do if you want me to peel off these leggings.”
“I can do it.” He hooked his thumbs in the elastic band and pushed down, getting on his knees to pull them off all the way. Eva kicked off her shoes and lifted one leg at a time, helping him do it faster.
His woman was just as impatient as he was.
Praising the inventor of the thong, Bhathian palmed Eva’s butt cheeks. Firm but pliable, her heart-shaped ass fit perfectly in his large hands. He pulled her closer, nuzzling her cleft through the tiny white panties and inhaling her unique musk.
The heat radiating from her center called him home.
She rubbed against his nose, and he rewarded her with a long lick on her pantie-covered slit. The fabric was so thin and sheer that it felt as if she was wearing nothing at all.
“Take them off.” Her whisper was husky with desire.
He did, slowly, only pulling them down to her lower thighs. It was enough, and he couldn’t wait to bury his tongue inside her.
As Eva’s fingers burrowed into his cropped hair, Bhathian wished it was longer so she’d have something to hold on to. But she managed just fine, clasping his head and grinding herself against him.
“That’s so good, Bhathian.”
It was, but he could do so much more with her lying on the bed, spread out for him. Besides, she was still wearing too many clothes. Wrapping his arms around her thighs, he lifted her as he pushed to his feet and carried her to the bed.
“I love how strong you are.”
“Lift your arms for me, love,” he instructed.
Eva obeyed, kneeling on the bed and letting him pull the shirt over her head. He tossed it on the floor, then climbed on the bed and knelt in front of his woman, so close their chests were almost touching. The only remaining article of clothing was the designer bra. It was a sexy number, the shiny white fabric contrasting with Eva’s tanned skin, but it had to go as well. Naked was better.
He palmed her breasts and brought his mouth to hers. She cupped his head, holding him close as she kissed him, her tongue bold and demanding like its mistress.
There was no one like Eva.
Sometimes she liked to submit and let him dominate her from the start, other times she liked to fight him for dominance, and from time to time she wanted to be in charge and tell him what to do.
He loved it all even though it was clear to him that no matter what game they played, Eva was the one making all the rules and he was her obedient servant. There was no chance in hell that he would ever get bored with his mate, and guessing what she was in the mood for was part of the fun.
Tonight it seemed that she wanted to fight for it.
The first few times Eva had made it obvious that she wanted him to fight her, he’d held back because he’d been afraid of hurting her. She hadn’t been pleased. Not at all. And he’d learned that she didn’t want gentle and careful, or need it.
Maybe it was her training, or maybe her confidence, but he was damn sure that none of the other immortal females could’ve gotten free from his hold. Even Kri struggled, and she had decades of training. Eva was almost as fast and as devious as Kri, even though the woman had never been to a gym, and the last time she’d gotten any training was thirty something years ago—assuming DEA agents trained to maintain their skills the same way as Guardians. If they didn’t, Eva’s last session was when she’d graduated from the academy. About fifty years ago.
Superior genes. Had to be.
When Eva was in the mood for a fight, she didn’t give up until she was convinced that there was no way out.
He broke up the kiss. “Get on your hands and knees.”
Her pupils dilated, only a thin band of amber remaining around the black. “Make me.”
Game on.
He’d guessed right.
Lifting Eva up, he twisted her around before the last syllable left her mouth. His hand on her nape, he pushed her down, so her face was on the bed and her ass high in the air. She tried to get up, but he’d known she would and held her head pinned to the duvet-covered mattress, delivering a hard smack to her upturned behind at the same time. A couple of weeks ago, he would have cringed at the red hand imprint he’d left on her skin. But he’d learned that she wouldn’t have been happy with anything less.
Straightening her legs, Eva flattened herself on the mattress and twisted sideways. He had to let go or risk injuring her neck.
The damn woman had known that and used it to her advantage. A triumphant smile illuminated her face as she waited for his next move. He reached for her, but she twisted away again.
It was like trying to capture an eel.
Slippery buggers.
Bhathian had two options—either pounce on Eva and pin her down, using his arms and his thighs, or get undressed and taunt her with his body. He chose the second one. After all, wrestling Eva with his pants on defeated the purpose of their little game.
Her brows lifted in surprise as he got off the bed, her eyes narrowing as he started his slow striptease. Very, very slow.
“Not fair. That’s cheating,” she said.
He shrugged and let his T-shirt drop to the floor.
Eva licked her lips as he unbuckled his belt and popped the first button on his jeans, then the next one, and the next one, until all that hid his shaft from her eyes were his boxer briefs. Stretchy and white, they didn’t leave much to the imagination.
Mesmerized, she watched as he pushed his jeans down, a groan escaping her throat as he folded them neatly and put them on top of the dresser. With a smirk, he hooked his thumbs in the elastic band of his boxer shorts and pushed them down in increments of half an inch at a time.
With her eyes glued to his crotch, a low growl started in Eva’s throat as he taunted her with the excruciatingly slow reveal. But getting naked was just the first part of his plan. There were a number of ways to make her do what he wanted.
Out of his boxer shorts, Bhathian fisted his cock. “You want this?” He ran his hand up and down the hard length.
“Yes.”
“What are you willing to do for it?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”
“Get on your arms and knees.”
“No.”
With a smirk, he continued the slow up and down movement. “Then you’re not getting this.”
Eva’s eyes were shooting daggers at him, and her growls were getting louder and throatier.
“You can keep growling and hissing as much as you want, but if you want this, you’ll do as I say.”
With a look that would’ve petrified a lesser man, Eva flopped to her belly and then pushed up to her knees and forearms.
“Good girl.” He climbed on the bed and knelt behind her. With each caress of his hand on her beautiful ass and her bowed back, he felt the tension leave her muscles, and when he cupped her moist center, she let out a moan and rested her cheek on the duvet.
“I still need to punish you for before.” He penetrated her with one finger.
“Aha…” she breathed.
What was she thinking? That this was the punishment?
The hard smack he delivered to her left butt cheek and another one to its twin dissuaded any such illusion.
She didn’t fight him when he delivered two more, which deserved a reward. Bending down, he extended his tongue and gave her wet slit a long lick. “Delicious.” He smacked his lips before diving for more.
Chapter 12: Eva
There was something deliciousl
y wicked about getting tongue fucked from behind. Very unladylike.
Who cares.
Not Eva. She was spiraling toward an orgasm in record time, powerless to stop that tsunami from hitting fast and hard even though she would’ve loved to prolong the sweet agony for a few more minutes.
But it was all good. There were many more from where that one was coming from.
With the last vestiges of reason, she grabbed a pillow to scream into when she lost the battle and could hold back no more.
As she collapsed to the side, boneless, Bhathian curled behind her, spooning her and wrapping an arm around her. Any other man would have just speared inside her, but he knew she needed a few moments to come down from the high.
Eva had never been in a relationship where she felt comfortable enough to engage in the kinds of sex games she was playing with Bhathian.
It was fun, liberating.
There was no pretense between them, and no secrets. She could be herself with him, but didn’t have to. Sometimes she wanted to spice things up and pretend to be someone else. For his pleasure and hers.
The problem was, acting had become such an integral part of her life that it wasn’t easy to stop even when she wanted to. After doing it for so long, it felt as if there were several personalities sharing her brain, ready to be called upon when needed. But outside of sex, Bhathian didn’t allow it. Every time she’d inadvertently slipped into one of the many roles she used to play, he called her on it.
It was a process, a journey of discovery, and Eva was glad to have Bhathian along for the ride.
He was her compass, her sounding board, the one person whom she’d dared to confide in and show her ugly side. Her demons didn’t repel him. His acceptance was priceless to her. A boon.
Was that love? Eva wasn’t sure. But even if it wasn’t, it was good enough. What she had with Bhathian was more than she’d ever expected to have. And the guy was one hell of a lover. Attuned to every little nuance, he knew how to please her well. Which given her shifting moods wasn’t an easy feat. And yet, aside from the clumsy beginning, he’d never erred.