Animal Instinct

by Kate Davidson

  “Maybe when I’m ninety and senile,” she told him. “Right now I just need another source of income to keep my head above water.” Liam thought about that. He was conducting an interview, even if it was an unconventional one. Apparently she was a dedicated worker and faced challenges head on. Good traits but not necessarily what he wanted in his food. He needed constant access. A hungry vampire could quickly become dangerous, especially at his age. The girls literally had to be at his beck and call. Jackie didn’t strike him as the type who did beck-and-call very well.

  “What kind of work is this guy offering?” It was time to check her secret-keeping ability. Jackie was open about her own life but he couldn’t have her being open about his. It would get him killed.

  “My friend got me the interview but she didn’t really go into detail about what to expect,” she lied without missing a beat. Jackie liked this guy. He had a good sense of humor and a cute smile. However, some secrets weren’t hers to tell. And even the secrets that she could tell she wasn’t likely to spill. “The suspense is probably what’s got me so wound up.”

  Liam was slightly impressed. She hadn’t stumbled or made up an elaborate story. She had just shrugged and claimed ignorance. Jackie glanced at the stairs to the VIP room, a flash of annoyance crossing her face.

  You can’t play this game forever, that tiny shred of chivalry inside of him claimed. It was unusual for that part of him to speak up. Its presence must have something to do with the company he was keeping, which ruled her out as a woman he would want to spend a great deal of time with. Liam didn’t need his conscience to speak up after hundreds of years of suppressing it.

  Jackie was not what he wanted in a donor. She couldn’t play the well-structured game that his girls always excelled at. She was not submissive and had a life away from him already established. It simply wouldn’t work. On the other hand, he had nothing to do tonight. Why not amuse himself a little bit longer? But first, he’d need to get her mind off of the interview she’d been expecting.

  “When was this interview supposed to take place?” Jackie sighed and took another look at the watch in her purse.

  “About fifteen minutes ago.” It was official. She’d been stood up. “Fuck,” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Well, she hadn’t really believed Mr. O’Connor would hire her anyway. She just thought he’d have the decency to tell her to her face. Bastard. “Thanks for keeping me company.” Jackie paid the bartender then cautiously began to plan her maneuvers for escaping the crush of people blocking her way to the door. She’d slipped partially through the crowd when a light tap on her shoulder had her turning around to stare into the sweet brown eyes she’d left barely a minute ago.

  “I have a proposition for you,” he began, that same half-smile on his face. “Since you no longer have an interview and I am distressingly unoccupied this evening, would you mind keeping me company? I dislike boredom and something tells me that is not something I’ll have to suffer with you.”

  Oh, dear. She was being picked up. This wasn’t good. Wait, why wasn’t this good? It meant she hadn’t become an ugly hag. That was a decidedly good thing. She wasn’t over the hill, even if forty was a frightening three years away. Why not indulge herself just a tiny bit? He was cute, she was close enough to tell he smelled fantastic and there wasn’t a wedding ring in sight… No, she had to be responsible. Damn.

  “Don’t you think I’m a little old for you?” she asked, raising a brow. He laughed again and this time it wasn’t at all soft.

  “If I thought that, I wouldn’t have asked.” Jackie saw something change in his eyes and felt, suddenly, that she was sailing in unfamiliar waters.

  The night was young and a man hadn’t actively pursued her in an extremely long time. Besides, without that job she was screwed. Might as well make the most of the night before she had to face the inevitable disaster.

  “All right, I’ll keep you company and try not to bore you. But I think we should exchange names.” She held out her hand. “Jackie Chase.” His hand closed around hers and she was struck by that sensation of being tiny, breakable.

  “Jack Tanner.” Liam grimaced internally, already foreseeing the rant his friend would go off on for using his name. The good Dr. Jack Tanner, a true southern gentleman, was not the type to mislead women for his own personal amusement. Of course, what he didn’t know wouldn’t get Liam chastised. Another human brushed past him and he reached for the last of his limited patience when it came to dealing with large masses of people. It was a bit too much like a mob for his taste. “Let’s find somewhere less insanely crowded.”

  “No arguments from me,” Jackie said. Then she smiled. “Well, not yet.”

  Chapter Four

  JACKIE WORE SOCKS THAT didn’t match. When she was a child, she’d cried when her parents had gotten a new microwave. She’d named her dogs after unfortunate characters in Shakespeare’s plays because she believed they deserved a second chance, even if it was in dog form. She believed in poking fun at life whenever possible in case the people around her took it too seriously. And she wished with all her heart that horses were still the primary method of transportation.

  She’d always been odd and slightly off-center. However, even she had not walked into a complete stranger’s hotel room for God knows what reason. Of course, saying that the presidential suite at the Regent Beverly Wilshire was just a room was sort of like saying the Kentucky Derby was just a race. That wasn’t the point, though. Jack could turn out to be a psychotic killer. In which case… she wouldn’t have to worry about working herself to the bone in order to save her ranch. On the other hand, she might have a really great night just talking to this guy and relaxing before she had to face the morning. Whatever he turned out to be she’d at least done the smart thing and texted Sofie her location. Couldn’t be too careful.

  “I’m a little paranoid,” Jackie told him while he unlocked the door. “Is this the part where you drug and rape me?” Jack glanced at her as he waited for the door to beep its acceptance of the key.

  “No, this is the part where I kill you and steal your identity.”

  “Oh, so you’re a smartass,” she said, nodding as if this explained everything. In truth, the fact that he was a smartass under the boyish good looks and sleek charm was extremely comforting. At least it was to her. Maybe she just felt more comfortable with her own kind.

  “Guilty,” he agreed, holding open the door for her. Jackie couldn’t move immediately. She hadn’t grown up poor but she’d never been incredibly rich, either. This place served the incredibly rich. There were high ceilings, roman columns and the whole place was decorated with custom furniture that would give an ordinary hotel room deeply rooted confidence issues.

  “Hell of a lot of room for someone staying alone,” she noted, finally getting up the courage to walk into a suite she felt would automatically eject her for being dirty on a regular basis, even if she wasn’t now. It didn’t seem too implausible to believe they had technology that could detect even the slightest traces of dust and destroy it.

  “If you’re going to be alone, you might as well have the room to do it properly.” Liam took a deep breath as she passed. There were very faint traces of Isabelle who had probably helped Jackie get ready. He could smell coconut on her skin from a bath scrub. Under all the soap and polish, Liam could smell the real her. Sweat, leather and horses stayed with her no matter what she’d tried to put on to cover them. It shouldn’t have been arousing. He should have been disinterested, maybe even repulsed. Liam had a taste for sweet-smelling women who did nothing more with their lives than look good and entertain others. Perhaps it was nostalgia. It had been years, decades even, since he’d been able to smell horses around every corner.

  “Damn, this place is bigger than my house,” she muttered, wandering into the living room. Everything was classic, the walls white and the floors made of highly polished wood.

  “That can’t possibly be intimidatio
n in your voice,” Jack said. She glanced at his amused expression and rolled her eyes.

  “It’s just a teensy bit overwhelming. Nothing a little alcohol and music couldn’t fix,” Jackie hinted.

  Two hours later her theory was proved correct. Her shoes had long ago been cast off, a few more buttons of Jack’s shirt were undone and they were arguing over music.

  “Too much twang and references to Texas,” he repeated, shaking his head. Jackie smacked his arm.

  “I’ll let you know that the twang is classic but that’s not what country is entirely about anymore.” She finished her glass of champagne and set it down on a coaster. “And not every song refers to Texas. For instance, there’s Georgia, too.”

  “I really shouldn’t be surprised that you’re a country fan. After all, you work with horses.” He repressed a smile when her narrowed eyes turned on him.

  “Not every person involved with horses loves country music. I also happen to love other genres. Country is just my favorite.”

  “Oh really? What else do you love?” he inquired. Jackie picked up one of the strawberries to buy herself some time to compile a list of loves. The fruit been brought up along with the champagne. Apparently they brought out the flavor. Jackie wasn’t so concerned about bringing out the flavor of the champagne as she was about enjoying the strawberries - a little sweet, a little tart. Perfect.

  “Cole Porter,” she told him after she swallowed. Liam smiled. He’d met that particular musical genius in New York years before Jackie had even been born. The man had been appealing and also very self-indulgent. That was probably why Liam had liked him.

  “Not a common choice,” he noted. “Any particular reason why?” She looked away from him. In her eyes he could see the bittersweet swell of memories.

  “My first love sang “Night and Day” to get me to go out with him,” Jackie said after a moment. “He was an awful singer but the words were beautiful.”

  “Mr. Porter knew romance,” he agreed. Liam hadn’t meant for the evening to become sentimental. He was having a surprisingly good time but he knew how humans could get if they started a trip through memory lane. She needed to be distracted. “I suppose for the purpose of the debate I could stand to listen to a little country music.” Jackie smiled.

  “God, Jack, calm down. I can’t stand it when you get so excited.” She uncurled her legs and got off the cream-colored sofa, crossing to the surround sound music system. With a little fiddling she managed to get her favorite country station. “Oh, I haven’t heard this one in a while,” she murmured. That was a shame since “Nothing On but the Radio” was one of her many favorites. Jackie’s first instinct was to sing along but she was fully aware of the fact that she could not carry a tune in a bucket and Jack probably didn’t want his ears to bleed.

  At the advanced age of five hundred eighty-eight, Liam had come to believe in a muted, hazy version of destiny. He didn’t always go along with it. On the contrary, more than once he’d felt the strings of fate give a dull tug and he’d walked in the opposite direction. In this instance he did not feel inclined to ignore it. The slow wind of seduction in the singer’s voice and the curve of Jacquelyn’s smile were enough for him.

  “You never mentioned if you had a boyfriend,” he noted, eyes skimming over her long legs.

  “Hard to mention someone that doesn’t exist.” She returned to the couch and picked up another strawberry. A meal of strawberries and champagne probably wasn’t the most balanced in the world but she’d survive. “It’s been my experience that men don’t fit into my life very easily.”

  “Things that are worthwhile are rarely easy.” She gave him an odd look. Liam had the uncomfortable feeling that she was trying to see through his surface and into a part of him no one, not even his best friend, was allowed to see.

  “Who are you, Jack?” she asked. He could tell by her expression that she wasn’t expecting a real answer.

  “Does it matter?”

  Jackie smiled briefly then shook her head. “You’re older than you look.” Her left foot started to tap against the floor and Liam could immediately sense that she wanted to standing up, to pace. She was a woman of actions, not words. “I’ve been answering all sorts of questions about my life but I hardly know anything about you. Why is that, Jack?”

  “You’re a smart woman, Jacquelyn. Figure it out.” She would, too. It might take her a little while but she would connect the dots eventually. Liam wanted to put off that inevitability. A new distraction was obviously needed.

  “People call me Jackie,” she told him. He just smiled.

  “Seems a waste of a name to me.” Liam glanced at the bowl of strawberries then at her mouth. “How are the strawberries, by the way?” Jackie blinked, thrown off by the abrupt change in topic.

  “Oh, they’re great. Why? Finally decide to have one?” His eyes held a disconcerting combination of amusement and hunger.

  “I wouldn’t mind a taste.”

  “We really aren’t talking about the same thing anymore, are we?” Jackie stood up and went to the other side of the living room, intent on getting some space between them. So Jack was sexy, rich and a smartass with a great deal of insight. What the hell else did she know about him? Zip, zero, nada. The thought of kissing him shouldn’t make her think about which bedroom in the suite they could use.

  “It would give us something to do.” She had to fight back a startled yelp when she heard his voice so close to her ear. Jackie had to fight even harder not to make a run for it when Jack turned her around to face him.

  “Are you bored already?” she asked, struggling to keep this casual. Liam ignored her question and pressed a hand against the small of her back. He was intensely aware of every change in her body. Her pulse had accelerated along with her heartbeat and her pupils had dilated during the last five seconds. She wanted him. That suited Liam perfectly.

  Jackie was an experienced kisser although it had been a while since she’d practiced. When his mouth covered her own and surprise faded away in favor of desire, she didn’t have any trouble keeping up. Their pace was deliberately slow. His tongue swept through her mouth, tasting and exploring. She felt as though he was breathing her in, taking some part of her soul into his keeping. A faint spice sank into her tongue as she explored him as thoroughly as he explored her. Jackie slid a hand beneath the collar of his shirt, finally indulging in the desire to feel his skin. His skin was very similar to the silk he was wearing although it was stretched over hard muscles. Maybe it was the champagne. Maybe it was the overall desperation of the evening. Either way, Jackie liked this very much and had no trouble indulging.

  Her skin was not perfect. He could feel it when he moved his hands over her shoulders and arms. At her left elbow especially he could feel the roughness of an old scar. Jacquelyn was a bizarre mix of rough and smooth. Kissing her was more difficult than it should have been. What he had wanted was one long, uncomplicated kiss. Instead he encountered a warm, willing mouth that tasted as sweet as the fruit she had been eating. This was moving from one kiss to a prelude for much more.

  Slowly and reluctantly, Liam broke the contact. “I should warn you now that I’m not famous for my self-restraint.”

  Jackie realized he took her breath away and felt stupid. This wasn’t some romantic movie. Kisses from strangers weren’t supposed to be this magnificent. At least that had been her experience to date. Maybe her assumption that really powerful desire happened after two people fell in love wasn’t 100 percent correct. What Jack made her feel was Lust with a capital ‘L’. The last time she’d felt this driven to sleep with someone she was eighteen on a picnic blanket in an empty stall with her first love. That hadn’t worked out so well. But what were the odds of it going that badly a second time?

  “I don’t feel like helping you practice your self-restraint,” she informed him softly, meeting his curious gaze. Jackie was thirty-seven and responsible enough to accept the consequences of a reckl
ess one-night stand. Having made her decision, Jackie began to unbutton his shirt. “Honestly, I’m not in the mood for it.”

  “And what are you in the mood for, exactly?” Liam was fascinated by the shift in her body. Her quick and efficient hands tugged his shirt out from his pants. He could feel the old instinct to take and consume stirring to wakefulness; an instinct he enjoyed. Perhaps he’d indulge in it a little later. He was far more intrigued by how she was pushing him against one of the Roman pillars.

  “Isn’t that a little obvious?”

  “You said there wasn’t any room for a man in your life,” Liam pointed out, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and gently stroking the edge of her jaw.

  “There isn’t,” she informed him, enjoying the feel of his chest against her skin. As she’d suspected, he had a beautiful body. Toned muscles and broad shoulders. Pale skin dusted lightly with gold in the light. It made her want to press her mouth to his skin and lick. “Why? Are you looking for room?”

  “Not at all,” he told her, which was more or less true. He’d decided against her as a potential donor. Of course, that had been before she’d taken charge of the seduction he’d started.

  “Glad to hear it. I’d hate for this to be complicated.” She kissed him, moving her lips hungrily over his own. Liam had little trouble maneuvering them toward the nearest bedroom although Jackie seemed more interested in undoing his belt than finding a mattress. She very nearly made him stumble when her hand went quite a bit lower than his waistline. His sire, Marguerite, sprang to mind. The way she often dominated their encounters was eerily similar.

  To distract himself from thoughts of his occasional vampire lover, Liam moved Jackie’s arms so he could tug off her clingy shirt. She was pale beneath her clothes and an immediate difference between Jackie and Marguerite caught his attention. Marguerite was busty. Jackie was not. And, for once, this didn’t strike him as a negative thing. No indeed, the idea of her pert breasts fitting in his hands didn’t turn him off at all. With a deft flick of his hand Liam unsnapped her bra and lowered his head so he could take one dusky nipple in his mouth. Jackie’s fingers locked in his hair as she groaned, clutching him to her. He took that opportunity to lower her to the bed and cover her body with his.