A honk interrupted the kiss. He pulled away and tossed his head back with a satisfied sigh. Rendered breathless, Jessi wasn’t certain she’d be able to stand on her own, if he walked away too fast. She was hot from the inside out, stunned by the kiss in a way that reminded her of how she barely walked away from his bite.
“That’s what I like to see on your face,” he said with a wink.
“You are such a jackass!” She pushed away from him, stumbled and then swatted his hand away as he steadied her. “I am so quitting. For real this time!” She strode towards the car.
“I’m driving.”
She didn’t think she could, not with her senses scrambled. Ashley got out, staring at her quizzically.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Jessi said.
“It’s exactly what it looks like,” Xander countered.
“I quit, remember?” Jessi retorted. “And now I’m suing you for harassment.”
Ashley was trying not to smile. She climbed into the back seat. Jessi settled into the passenger seat, her seatbelt barely on when Xander throttled the car out of the parking lot.
“Are you …dating?” Ashley ventured.
“Xander doesn’t date,” Jessi replied promptly. “He uses women then discards them. He’s the kind of person you need to run from, if you ever meet anyone like him.”
“We’re not fucking, but we will be soon,” Xander added.
Jessi stared at him. Ashley giggled in half-alarm, half-embarrassment.
“Check this out.” Xander passed his phone back to Ashley.
Jessi twisted, unable to see the picture.
“Omigod, that’s so hot!” Ashley exclaimed. “Jessi, you look so pretty!”
Xander ignored Jessi’s glare. “It’ll be the front cover of Gents Only next month.”
“Jessi, you’ll be famous!”
If we survive the week.
Jessi stared out the window. She’d managed to avoid the sense of urgency and pressure Jonny no doubt wanted her to experience. Tonight, however, the two worlds she wanted to keep apart smashed together. Xander’s introduction to her cousin made the reality of her situation starker. What if he took revenge on her for what she planned to do? What if he tried to hurt her sweet cousin, like Jonny promised to do?
What happened tomorrow, if she failed to do what Jonny wanted? The penalty for failure was escalating. What would Jonny do to her, once he found his goons dead? She touched her cheek, beyond baffled by the confrontation. Disturbed, she ignored the chatter between Ashley and Xander as they drove back to his place. He parked under the building.
Jessi said nothing as they entered the elevator. The silence was tense, but she didn’t care. She was debating if she had the money to take the kids and just leave, flee Jonny and Xander. They emerged onto the ground level. She pulled her keys free from her purse and walked out.
“C’mon, Ashley,” she ordered, avoiding Xander.
Ashley hesitated then softly told the vampire goodnight before trailing.
Jessi wanted to cry. Distressed by her night and overwhelmed by the idea Xander had a softer side, she thought of nothing more than getting home and crawling into bed. Hopefully, she made it before the tears started.
She didn’t want to, but Jessi showed up precisely at eight the next morning. She hadn’t slept well and hoped Xander decided to go out this morning and leave the house to her to search. She let herself in and ascended the stairs.
Shirtless, he was on the porch with his legs propped up, no doubt waiting for his coffee. Her gaze lingered. She’d spent the night tossing and turning, trying to figure out what to do. He breached her comfort zone in a way that left her shaken, scared.
He saved her life, and she was going to repay him by robbing him blind, because she had no other choice.
She started the coffee then went to his room to escort out whoever he found. His bed was empty. She frowned, seeking signs he’d had someone over. It didn’t look like it. No misplaced clothing, and only the blankets on one side of the bed were turned down. The other side was still made. Maybe he was serious about penciling her in for his Tuesday night entertainment.
The joke was on him, then.
With a shake of her head, she retreated to the kitchen to prep his coffee and feed the cat. Not wanting to deal with him at all, she took the coffee out to the porch and left, even more irritated to see he wore the necklace she desperately needed to steal.
Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it from her pocket.
Status? It was Jonny.
She winced, unable to fathom what kind of penalty she’d face tonight. Xander killed Jonny’s three goons and she was still clueless how to get the necklace.
Super close – should have it soon, she lied in response. Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back.
It was day three, and she was no closer to grabbing it. She needed a real plan. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Xander until he slid the iPad onto the counter she leaned against. She jumped and glanced down, spotting the picture Ashley had printed and posted all over the apartment.
“What’s on the schedule today?” she asked in the charged silence.
“We’ll see.”
“Okay. It’s your career.”
He set his mug on the counter.
She heard him messing with the coffee maker and turned. His back was to her, the large muscles moving effortlessly as he deftly prepped another pot.
“So you do know how to make coffee,” she said. “Can you cook?”
“Yeah.”
“Like, really cook? Not just microwave stuff?”
“Yeah.”
He started the coffeemaker and faced her, folding his arms across his thick chest. They gazed at each other.
“Rough night?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as the coffeemaker began percolating.
“Very.”
She eyed him. “You didn’t have a visitor last night.”
“No. I’m starving right now.”
“Why don’t you…” She paused, noticing his fangs were out. “You don’t exactly eat eggs and bacon for breakfast, do you?”
“No.”
“Those women are more than sex.”
“Dinner,” he supplied. “Sex is a bonus.”
She stared at him. “I’m talking to a real vampire.”
His gaze dropped to her neck, hunger flaring in his eyes. She covered her exposed skin with her hands. Amusement crossed his features.
“Boundary,” she said firmly.
“I pissed you off last night,” he observed.
She pursed her lips without responding.
“Hard to fuck someone over when there’s a personal connection.”
“You involved my family on purpose?” she asked, anger rising.
“You plan on stealing from me,” he reminded her. “I offered you a way out. You decided not to take it.”
“Sleeping with you is not a way out, and involving my seventeen-year-old cousin will not make me more likely to sleep with you!”
“She came to me, because you were in danger,” he snarled. “You’re welcome for not leaving you to face those three on your own.”
Jessi looked away, beyond confused about what to feel or do.
“You’re in over your head, Jessi,” he said.
“You don’t have the capacity to care.”
“Right. I could’ve let them carve you up.”
She winced at his tone. “I appreciate you helping me, Xander, and for being somewhat decent to my cousin. But I don’t want you ever talking to either of them again. I can’t handle it.”
“At least you’re honest about something,” he replied. “There will come a point when you’re going to have a really hard choice to make.”
“Don’t try to be decent now,” she murmured. Her face felt hot, and she refused to look at him. “I can’t handle that, either.”
“You wanna be my breakfast?”
She almost smiled, relieved he listened.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll let you drive my car again.”
“Tempting but no.”
He chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him.
“Your cousin says you haven’t dated anyone in four years,” he said. “Long time not to get laid.”
“You did not just go there! Do you really think I’d tell them about my dates?” she retorted. “Xander, I’m serious. Don’t talk to my cousins.”
“Tell me why.”
She bit back her response, aware she was playing into his hands at every turn. She wasn’t sure why she was bothering with the tug-of-war battle with him, except that she hoped she was able to hide what she sought and make it easier for her to get.
He leaned across the kitchen, trapping her between his two arms. His scent and heat washed over her. His face inches away, the expanse of his chest so close …
“Boundary.” She refused to give into the sex appeal that made grown women faint in front of him.
“You owe me,” he replied in the same tone. “A small snack, as repayment for saving your life last night.”
She grated her teeth at the reminder. He waited for her response. Her heart slammed into her chest, her body warming.
“Fine. Then we’re even,” she said.
“Sure.” He searched her face with fascination. “Not sure why you’re fighting it so hard. You want me, and I’m offering.”
“I’m not going to swoon like every other woman who looks at you,” she said.
His lips brushed hers again, the light pressure nonetheless making her pulse fly faster.
“I don’t want you to swoon or to fear me,” he said and trailed kisses down her jaw.
“Xander,” she whispered. “No kissing.”
He nipped her hard enough to hurt. She pushed him away in response. He was grinning.
“Just do your thing and leave me alone,” she ordered. She turned her back to him, tugged her hair over one shoulder and crossed her arms.
Xander’s body moved behind hers, resting lightly against her in a way that ratcheted up her pulse. She managed not to start babbling nervously, even when his hands traced down her arms before settling on her hips. He took his time, his hot breath on her neck making her shiver. He paid her last warning no heed and kissed her neck from beneath her ear to her collarbone.
Jessi’s eyes closed at the sensation of his soft lips, hot mouth and the rough stubble that teased her sensitive skin. She found herself tilting her head to expose her neck. The kisses continued, and his tongue flickered out to taste her skin. Desire was mounting faster this time, as if her body anticipated what his bite would bring.
“If you turn me into a vampire, I swear to God, I’ll kill you,” she said, hating the breathless quality of her voice.
“I’d rather turn you into Wednesday.”
“Not happening.”
He nipped her neck, and she gasped, yearning and fire tearing through her. Guilt and need warred as her senses became saturated with his oak-amber scent, the warmth of his body at her back. He wrapped one arm around her, cradling her against him firmly.
“Ready?” he whispered. “Don’t move.”
She gripped his roped forearm with both hands, afraid it was going to hurt.
The pinch came, followed by the strange sensations of energy flying within her. She groaned as hunger and need hit her hard once more, the way it did the last time he bit her. Jessi fought the sensations, not wanting to lose control, especially to him. She’d never experienced yearning like this, so strong it threatened to consume her. Exploring the sensations of her body tentatively, she thought she heard the doorbell in the distance.
His other hand slid across her abdomen to rest at her stomach. Images of him sliding it south, towards the part of her that ached, filled her mind.
Suddenly, the sensations stopped. Xander kissed her neck, lapping up the blood with a quick flick of his tongue. He held her for another minute, until her senses returned. Dazed, Jessi’s eyes opened. Her breathing was ragged, her body shaking from the effect of his bite as well as her effort to fight his spell. Did she win? Held against his body, she couldn’t imagine she had, but she was still standing in the kitchen.
“You won’t last the week,” Xander whispered. He released her and moved away. The loss of his body jarred her back into reality.
Jessi braced herself against the counter, not certain she was able to stand on her own. She risked a glance at him, embarrassed at how much of a wreck she was. Xander’s eyes glowed with hunger, and his fangs were receding in a way not remotely human.
“Thanks,” he said. He strode out of the kitchen, leaving her alone to try to regain her senses.
The most intimate experience of her life, and that’s all he could say? Was this how every woman he slept with felt after a night with him? Stunned, scattered, and so hungry for him, they wanted to beg him to take them to bed?
She was beginning to understand the voicemails he kept getting.
What did she really expect from a user like him? Anger flared within her. She was such an idiot! How did she fall under his spell again, knowing what he was?
“This is my last day, Xander!” she cried.
“Whatever.” His casual dismissal infuriated her. He knew the effect he had on her; he did it on purpose to mess with her.
“I’m serious this time.”
“You gonna get the door?”
She realized the doorbell had rung not once but twice. Furious but grateful for the chance to move before she exploded at him, Jessi forced her rubbery legs to cooperate and descended to the front door. She didn’t bother to look out the peephole, too upset to care who stood there. She yanked the door open.
Two tall, muscular men stood there. One was dark-skinned with tattoos all over his body, dark hair and an expression that turned curious as he met her gaze. The other was frowning fiercely. Brown-haired, blue eyes, slightly hunched, angry.
“Xander’s expecting us,” the dark-skinned man told her. “I’m Jule. This is Charles. We’re … friends, of sorts. You are?”
Something about him eased her tension. Jessi realized she was glaring at them. She shook her head.
“Sorry. I’m Jessi, his personal assistant. For today, at least. I’m quitting,” she added. “Come in.”
Chapter Ten
Xander heard her declaration of it being her last day. Until she got what she wanted, she’d continue to come back. Until he got what he wanted, he’d be sure to string her along.
His first night without a woman was awful. He forgot how bad of a mood not eating or fucking put him in. The sip from Jessi was satisfying but not nearly enough. He waited for the Guardian to arrive, entertained by the idea that Jessi denied him verbally while yielding to him physically.
He was whittling down her resistance. This much he sensed. Dressed in shorts and a snug T-shirt, Jessi shot him a glare as she led his guests in. Her bronze curls were captured in a ponytail, her face flushed from his bite and her gray eyes glittering with anger that made him want to sweep her up and kiss her until the dazed look returned.
“X,” Jule said as he entered the living area. “You remember Charles.”
Xander looked twice at Charles. “The former vamp,” he said.
Charles bared his teeth in a look of extreme displeasure. Xander watched them both as they sat across from him in the spacious living area. A peek into the former vamp’s mind revealed that two of Damian’s sisters-in-law had managed to turn a full vamp back into a disgruntled Natural. Xander was impressed.
“Coffee, Jessi.”
“We’re out,” she replied.
“I just made a new pot.”
She said nothing. He had no idea if she’d respond or not; he did it more to irritate her than because he was thirsty.
“Watch,” Xander said. As soon as Jessi crossed outside of three feet, she disappeared from his senses.
Jule jerked visibly. Charles, however, was unaffected.
“Can you se
nse her?” Xander asked Charles.
“Of course, ikir. She has Watchers’ blood,” was the short reply.
“You’re kidding. How much?” Jule was gazing at the former vamp hard.
“I do not know how much without tasting her,” Charles said then looked intently at Xander. “Will you turn me back, ikir?”
“Always happy to vamp someone,” Xander replied. “What would a … Watcher taste like?” He sneered as he said the word.
Charles was quiet, pensive. He tapped his head finally, which Xander took as a request to look. He did, experiencing Charles’ memory of tasting the blood of a Watcher. Not as sweet as human blood, the Watcher’s flavor had depth and conveyed more than life.
Xander realized it wasn’t his magic that pulled her emotions from her when he drank. It was her strange magic that carried her feelings through her blood. She was unwittingly sharing herself with him. He smiled to himself.
She would hate knowing that.
“A quarter maybe,” he said at last. “It can’t be more. She’s got a few of their traits. Her cousin can Travel and has a knack for weapons she’s hiding from Jessi. I haven’t met the boy yet.”
“So we’re looking for a record of a Natural who got knocked up by a Watcher about sixty years ago,” Jule mused. “We can figure it out. It’s a little creepy to have someone like that around.”
“I tagged her phone, shoes, purse and the iPad with tracking,” Xander replied. “Couldn’t sleep in my own home, knowing she was there but not where.”
Jule chuckled. “Any idea why she’s here? It can’t be a coincidence.”
“It’s not. Someone sent her.” Xander shifted forward, aware the Guardian wasn’t expecting an invite this morning.
“You want me to find her a sponsor and bring her in?”
“Not until I’m done with her.” Xander gave a half-smile.
Jule studied him. “Saw the bite marks. You plan on vamping her?”
“No. I want to know who sent her and why.”
“You probably know the why,” Jule said, gaze dropping to the necklace at Xander’s throat. “I can’t see any other reason why someone would risk pissing you off.”
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