Protecting Jazz

by Susan Hayes

  “I wasn’t dead. Just close to it. You did say that it took a near-death injury to cause the lycanthropy to kick in.”

  “But you have to stay alive long enough for the infection to establish itself!” she argued. “I saw you go down, Jase. I—it hurt so much. I thought I’d gotten you killed.”

  “You didn’t get anyone killed.” His hands were gentle as they stroked her hair and drew her head back down to his chest. “You saved me. I think you’re the reason I survived, sweetheart. Last night, when you bit me…you were transformed enough to transfer the infection. I just wasn’t near death.” He chuckled slightly. “At least, not at the time.”

  “I did this to you?” Horrified, she tried to pull herself out of his arms only to be met by strength as great as hers.

  “You saved me and made me into a superhero in the process. Stop feeling guilty. I’m sure as hell not sorry I’m still breathing.”

  “But you’re a monster!”

  She felt his body stiffen. “You think I’m a monster?”

  “I—no. Maybe. I don’t know. I’m a monster, Jase. But I don’t see you the same way. You’re still you.”

  He relaxed slightly. “Can you hear yourself? You’re not making much sense. If you and I are the same, and I’m not a monster, how can you be one?” He brushed another kiss to her brow and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Besides, I refuse to consider the idea that I’m in love with a monster. Therefore, I’m going with the superhero concept, thank you.”

  “You’re in love with me?”

  “You’re a bit slow on the uptake tonight.” He laughed and hugged her hard. “Or did you miss the bit where I kicked in a steel-plated door just to get to you? I’m sure me and this new wolf-thing are going to have a fair number of disagreements in the future, but the one thing we’re sure of is that we both want you. The moment I woke up, all I could think of was that I had to get to you.”

  Warmth and hope blossomed in Jazz’s chest, and suddenly it was hard to think clearly. “I thought you were gone, and it hurt so much. I just thought of all things we’d never get to do, all the places we’d never see together. I was going to kill them for taking you away from me, for taking that chance away from us.”

  “We’re going to have that chance now.” He paused and cuddled her closer. “And they’re in no shape to ever come after you again.”

  “They’re gone?” Relief filled her.

  “No survivors,” he muttered and then tried to stifle a yawn as exhaustion closed in on them both. “Hey guys? Someone want to toss us in some clothing and blankets? Jazz and I would like to go home now.”

  There was horrible screech as the abused steel door was opened a few inches. “Coming right up.” Sin’s voice was thick with relief. “And for the record, everyone out here is going to need trauma counseling after listening to the two of you go at it.”

  “Oh god.” Jazz felt her cheeks heat as embarrassment filled her.

  “Don’t you worry about it, sweetheart. They’re all just jealous.”

  Epilogue

  He woke up to Jazz’s laughter lilting in counterpoint to the low rumble of the distant surf. It had been over a month since his last nightmare, and he had finally gotten used to getting a full night’s sleep. Her presence in his life was a balm to his soul. Waking up to Jazz’s laughter every morning was healing him a little more each day, and he knew that soon the nightmares and the dark memories that fueled them would be part of his past.

  Not bothering to dress, Jase stretched before wandering out onto their private deck to see what had her so amused. The morning sun streamed through the trees and warmed the flagstones beneath his feet as he spotted Jazz standing in a dazzling patch of green and gold light. She was barefoot and clad in a white cotton sundress that clung to her curves, her hair loose and blowing in the tropical breeze. As he watched, she reached up to offer a morsel of papaya to the capuchin monkeys that sat in the tree above her, chattering as their tiny hands reached out to snatch the fruit from her fingers. His heart beat a little faster as he drank in the sight of the woman the fates had chosen for him.

  The Costa Rican sun had darkened her skin to a deep, burnished gold, and her eyes had lost the lingering fear that had shadowed them from the first time he’d seen her. As he came closer, the monkeys yammered in alarm and fled back up into the trees, leaving them alone.

  “You’re supposed to be getting lots of sleep,” he chided her softly as he drew her back against his chest, his arms wrapping around her to rest over the curve of her stomach.

  “And you’re supposed to get dressed before you leave the bedroom. It seems we’re both not doing what we’re supposed to be.” She laughed and added, “And being in bed with you is rarely the best way to get a decent night’s sleep.” She settled back against his chest with a gentle smile, her hands lying atop his. “Not that I am complaining. I prefer spending my nights indecently.”

  “You better not be complaining. If you were, I’d have to point out that last night’s session was entirely your idea. I distinctly remember suggesting an early night.”

  Jazz’s laughter filled the yard, and she leaned back to look up at him. “Is that how you remember it?”

  “Yes, it is. And if you say another word, I’m going to show you the difference between one of my ideas and one of yours.”

  “Oh.” He saw the challenge flare in her eyes, and his groin tightened in anticipation. “I think perhaps I need a reminder, then. For I am quite sure last night was your idea. After all, you’re the reformed reprobate in this relationship.”

  “That’s it!” he growled, letting a bit of his wolf bleed into his words as he swung Jazz into his arms and headed straight for their private swimming pool.

  Jazz squealed with laughter and squirmed in his arms, protesting every step of the way. “Put me down Jason Waters! You don’t go manhandling a pregnant woman this way!”

  “I have not yet begun to manhandle you, sweetheart. But believe me, I intend to. And since this is how you got into this condition in the first place, I am certain our baby will be just fine.”

  He tore her sundress off before they reached the water, and he let it flutter to the flagstones as he stepped off the edge and landed waist-deep in the pool, Jazz still cradled carefully in his arms.

  “That water is cold!”

  “It is not.” He cut off her protests with a kiss that had his cock surging to attention. Her mouth opened to his with a hunger that told him she wanted this as much as he did. Since the day they’d met, he’d wanted her. Months later that need hadn’t faded at all. If anything, it had grown until she was the center of his universe. First her, and now the child she carried.

  He lifted her wet body out of the water and settled her on the lip of the pool. He kissed her again as he moved his hands between her legs and parted her thighs. He held her knees apart as he kissed his way slowly from her lips to her breasts, easing himself lower into the water as he worked his way down her body. She tasted of sunshine and flowers and he savored every inch of her skin, pausing to taste and tease as he moved ever lower.

  She squirmed closer and he grinned to himself as he felt her thighs part further in invitation, encouraging him. “You taste so good, sweetheart. I think I’m going to have you for breakfast.”

  She leaned back, bracing herself on her arms as she rocked her hips off the edge of the pool. “You’re talking too much.”

  “What happened to the sweet little virgin I knew?” He laughed into the soft skin of her stomach and then ran his tongue around the edge of her navel, making her gasp.

  “She got seduced by a sexy, smooth-talking helicopter pilot, and now she’s as bad as he is.”

  “Lucky man.” Jase nuzzled his way down to her pussy and paused to blow across her wet skin. The scent of her arousal perfumed the air and he drew in a lungful. His wolf rumbled in approval somewhere in the back of his mind. They’d both learned that the scent and touch of their mate helped calm the darker half of their n
atures and that discovery had turned into the perfect excuse for getting to touch Jazz as often as he wished.

  He reached for her calves and draped them over his shoulders as he crouched in the water, the cool liquid doing nothing to quench the fire that flared inside him as he watched her legs part to reveal the gleaming inner lips of her pussy. He heard himself groan as he dove into her folds.

  He swirled his tongue around her clit and felt her shudder, her hips rising up off the deck once more to grind against his mouth. He slid a finger deep into her pussy and she mewled in pleasure. A fresh wash of honey flowed over his fingers and he added a second digit to the first, teasing her as he kept lapping at her clit.

  He felt her tense and then she leaned further back, sliding her ass off the edge so she could lever herself against his face.

  “Make me come, Jase! Stop teasing me!”

  He let her feel his laughter vibrate around her clit as he kept up his relentless teasing, pushing her to the edge. Her legs were quivering and her body was taut as a bowstring when he finally brought her over. He drew her clit into his mouth and sucked hard as she screamed and came, the walls of her pussy clenching tight around his fingers.

  Without waiting for her to recover or even catch her breath, he scooped her back into his arms and headed for the secluded grotto at the far end of the pool.

  He ducked them both under the waterfall and into the dimly lit cavern behind it, finding the bench by feel before sitting down and drawing her into his lap. Her legs parted at his touch, and he helped her to keep her balance as she straddled his thighs beneath the water. Her breasts bobbed, and he leaned down to suck at one pert nipple, earning him a mewling sigh of pleasure.

  “I want you,” she whispered and leaned back, offering her body up as a feast. Hunger slammed through him again, and he drew her flesh deeper into his mouth, his fingers working at one tight peak as he laved and nibbled at the other.

  “And you’ll have me, very soon,” he promised as he lifted his head to capture her lips with a kiss. Her lips tasted of papaya and as he kissed her, he slowed everything down. This was going to be one of those moments they would always remember, and he wanted it to be perfect.

  Her slender fingers wrapped themselves around his dick and he groaned as she stroked him, enjoying himself as the warmth of her hand and the slide of wet skin combined to make him even harder. He reached down and cupped her pussy in his hand, teasing her with his fingertips as he traced the seam of her labia without entering.

  The rumbling growl of her wolf told him he had her on the edge of her control, and he laughed as he kissed her. In the months since the attack, they’d spent hours learning more about the primal wolf that was now part of both their natures. They still had a lot to learn, but transformations came easier and the wolf was no longer something Jazz feared. Even the pain of changing had lessened, though the exhaustion always came after they had changed back to human form.

  He slid a single digit inside and flicked at her clit lightly, enjoying the way her grip tightened around his cock as he touched her. She gasped and he moved deeper, penetrating her with his fingers. His thumb found the delicate bundle of nerves within her pussy and pressed down, making her buck against his hand. Her teeth nipped at his lower lip and lust spiked through him, hot and hard.

  “I love you,” he whispered into the sweet cavern of her mouth, and she moaned a wordless response. “Wolf got your tongue?”

  She snarled and bit his lip again, squirming in his lap so that her pussy ground against his questing fingers.

  “Love you, too,” she murmured as she broke their kiss to draw a ragged breath into her lungs. “But right now I need you, so much.” She dipped her head and ran her tongue up the side of his neck. “Please, Jase.”

  “See what a good idea I had?” He stroked her clit one last time before releasing her pussy. He shifted his hands to her hips and picked her up easily, turning her around so that she was facing away from him.

  She let her thighs fall open as he drew her down onto his aching cock, spearing it deep into her heated pussy and then stopping.

  She groaned and twisted in his hands, but he held her steady, not letting her gain another inch.

  “Tell me this was a good idea, and then you can have me.”

  “You had a very good idea.” She wriggled again, and he bit back a groan at the pleasure that shot through him as she twisted her body around his cock. “Now will you please fuck me?”

  “With pleasure.” He drew her down as he brought his hips up, plunging the rest of the way inside.

  The cool wash of the water made her pussy that much hotter, and Jase had to fight back the urge to howl at the intense pleasure that spiralled through him.

  “You’re mine,” he told her as he started rocking his hips back and forth in a rhythm just a half beat slower than he knew she wanted it.

  “And you are mine.” She braced herself above him, hands wrapped around his wrists as she turned and kissed him hard. The motion of their bodies sent the water in the grotto sloshing into the walls as it swirled around them. Jase tightened his grip on her hips and started moving faster, pounding into her with his newfound strength. He was so strong now that he knew no one but Jazz would be able to handle him when he truly let himself go. They were made for each other. Both of them perfectly matched for a lifetime of loving and fighting and protecting each other.

  He held back his own release until after she came apart in his arms, her cries echoing inside the small chamber. With her velvety heat pulsing around him, he finally relinquished control and slid into an orgasm that overrode his senses.

  In the aftermath of their lovemaking, she leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder, her hand once again on the newly rounded curve of her tummy.

  “I’m almost sorry we have to go back soon,” she murmured and tipped her head up to smile at him.

  “Me, too. Part of me is tempted to e-mail my resignation, declare myself a kept man, and stay here forever.”

  She laughed and patted her stomach. “I think I’d prefer to have this baby back home, thank you. Talented as you are, I suspect you’d make a lousy midwife.”

  “Not to mention the fact we still haven’t told anyone you’re pregnant. I can’t wait to see Sin’s face when he finds out I’m going to be a daddy.”

  “He’ll likely need a beer to recover from the shock. I know I would have liked one.” She snuggled into his arms with a contented sigh that gladdened his heart.

  “My best friend is going to need more than a beer when he remembers that our condition is inherited. Our babe is going to be a big, bad wolf one day, sweetheart.”

  “No child of ours is going to be bad,” she corrected him gently. “We’re going to raise them to understand what they are, and how to live with their wolves. Besides, they won’t grow into their powers until they are almost done puberty. We’ve got sixteen years or so to figure out how to deal with a teenager who can sprout fur and fangs. Hopefully by then we’ve got our own wolves well and truly under control.”

  “You’re already under control, Jazz. You haven’t changed once in the last month. Not even partially.”

  “I did too! The night of the last full moon.”

  His cock twitched at the memory of that night. “Well, that doesn’t count. And we didn’t stay that way for long. Who knew that the fastest way to stop a full-moon shift was to have mind shatteringly good sex?”

  “It was good, wasn’t it?”

  “Every time with you is good. We were made to do that together.”

  “I still can’t believe you knocked me up that first night.”

  “It was either that night or right after we rescued you. I vote we tell everyone that was when it happened, just so Sin can go the rest of his life believing he was an involuntary witness to our son’s conception.”

  “Or our daughter’s.” She giggled at the thought. “You really are a very bad man.”

  “Of course I am. I keep telling you that
, sweetheart. You really have to start listening to me.”

  THE END

  The Guardians - Book One

  Defending Kyra

  Gareth Harkness is a supernatural predator born to hunt his natural enemy – vampires. Hunting isn’t his job, it’s his calling, one that doesn’t leave a lot of time for a normal life. He’s got a mission instead of a mortgage, and the only woman in his life is the nameless beauty who haunts his dreams.

  Kyra Robinson is too pragmatic to believe in magic, monsters, or things that go bump in the night. She’s forced to change her attitude when a random encounter at her Vancouver nightclub puts her in the sights of a vampire who wants her for his own.

  Kyra is desired by two men, the hunter, and the killer. After a lifetime of protecting herself, she’ll have to put her heart, and her life, in the hands of a man just as dangerous as the creature hunting her.

  **Publisher’s Note – This book was previously released as Whispers in the Dark

  BUY IT NOW

  The Guardians - Book Two

  Saving Michelle

  All Michelle Jamieson wants is a fresh start. She’s ready to rebuild her life and put the memories of her abusive ex-boyfriend behind her, but her ex isn’t ready to let her go, even after his death.

  Security consultant Sinjin Heath is on leave while recovering from a mission that went tragically wrong. The physical scars may have healed, but he still doubts his ability to protect anyone ever again.

  When Michelle arrives at the lakeside cabin next door to Sinjin, things start heating up fast. Before they can plan for any kind of future, they’ll have to put the ghosts of past to rest forever.

  Ready or not, Sinjin finds himself back in the protection business, and if he fails this time, he’ll lose the woman he loves.

  **Publisher’s Note – This book was previously released as Saved By Sin.