Tempting Flame (The Jendari Book 1)

by DJ Michaels

  Flinging her arms around his neck, Jaz clung to him. "Oh, my god," she muffled. "What the hell was that?"

  "Not was. Is. That's Itohan and he won't hurt you, I promise." Tallis twisted so his back was against the headboard, then he dragged Jaz onto his lap. Making free with her body, he positioned her so they were both more comfortable. When he had her settled he dragged the covers up to conceal all her interesting bits.

  Keeping a firm hold on his curvy woman, Tallis gave Itohan the evil eye. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Jasmine is a guest in my home and you have no right to deliberately frighten her."

  Itohan blinked and the neon green of his eyes dimmed to the faintest glow. Just play.

  "Not for her. She knows little about our culture, and nothing of the me'hendra."

  Far from being chastened, Itohan's solution to this problem was to jump up on the bed to get a closer look at Jaz. It was still too dark for her human eyes to see anything, but she felt the bed shift and she almost climbed Tallis's chest.

  Squeezing her tight in his arms, he kept her ass on his thighs. "Don't be frightened. You're in no danger." He rubbed his cheek against her temple. "Itohan just wants to meet you and I think if you give him a chance he'll like you as much as I do."

  Fortunately, Itohan stayed where he was at the end of the bed. In a rare bout of contrition he lowered himself so he was flat on his belly, his head resting on neatly crossed paws.

  Tallis could almost feel Jaz forcing herself under control, willing her jangling nerves to settle. "Good girl," he murmured. "Itohan is a cat, similar in size to me when I'm in my other form. Don't be afraid of him, he won't hurt you."

  "Okay." Jaz's agreement was little more than a breath against his skin.

  "I'm going to turn on the lights, okay?"

  She nodded but didn't ease her grip. Smiling to himself, Tallis gave a command in Jendari, and his bedroom was instantly bathed in light. Jaz leaned away from him enough to turn her body, but not enough to escape his embrace. Blinking until her eyes adjusted to the light, she turned her attention to the me'hendra. Then she gave him a shaky smile.

  "Hello."

  Itohan flicked his thick tail and edged closer. Tallis lifted Jaz slightly, tucked his legs up close to his body, and resettled his human. Itohan kept coming until his head was a breath away from Jaz's knee.

  He gave Tallis an impatient look and returned his attention to Jaz. It seemed formal introductions were in order.

  "Jasmine, I'd like you to meet Itohan. He is me'hendra…" Tallis paused for a moment, thinking how best to explain the complex relationship. "Every rhe'hashan has a me'hendra partner. They adopt us, fight by our side in battle, and become part of our family. He is a different species to me, but we are brothers of the soul."

  That explanation wasn't quite right, but he figured it was a description she would understand.

  "Hello, Itohan."

  The me'hendra chuffed and crept closer until his head was resting on Jaz's thigh.

  Pet.

  "He wants you to pet him." Tallis said. "But I should warn you, if he thinks he can be stroked on demand he'll drive you crazy."

  Jaz's small hand reached out and lightly smoothed over Itohan's head. He rumbled in pleasure and crept closer. Laughing softly Jaz kept petting, and then she turned her sparkling blue-green gaze onto Tallis. "He feels wonderful. So soft and warm."

  Her face was alight with joy, her smile wide, and there was such wonder in her eyes Tallis couldn't help himself. Wrapping his hand around the back of her neck he pulled her in for a kiss that was all demand.

  Sealing his lips to hers he pushed his tongue into her mouth, sliding against her, licking into her and biting her lips until she moaned and pressed against him. He wanted to devour her, he wanted to take every part of her into his body and hold her there for the duration. He wanted—

  "Yeeeowww!"

  At Itohan's pained cry Jaz tore herself from Tallis's grip. "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry."

  "What happened?" Aside from their spectacular kiss being cut short.

  "I must have … I'm so sorry … I didn't mean…"

  Tallis clamped his hand over her mouth. "Slow down. Deep breath." He waited until she complied. "Full sentences."

  Jaz glared at him. "Do you even understand what a full sentence is?"

  "Yeeeowww."

  Tallis turned to where Itohan was now sitting—on the floor and looking none too pleased.

  "What happened?" Tallis repeated.

  "I was petting Itohan when you started kissing me, and I think I may have accidentally pulled on his fur."

  Tallis let his mind fill the gaps. In his version, his kiss had been so passionate, Jaz made a fist and Itohan's pelt suffered for it.

  "Why are you smirking?" Jaz's voice was full of suspicion.

  Deciding not to share his fantasy, Tallis nodded towards the me'hendra. "Itohan thrives on drama. You didn't hurt him." He was a fully grown, deadly predator after all. "I think he's just annoyed that you like kissing me more than you like petting him."

  Itohan hissed, raising the fur on the back of his neck. Liar.

  Snorting in derision, Tallis grabbed a pillow and threw it at the me'hendra. It hit Itohan hard enough to elicit a grunt. He hissed again, his eyes narrowing. Bad Tallis.

  Without looking away, Itohan sank his claws into the pillow and dragged it closer.

  "Don't." Tallis knew the warning was futile, but he had to do something to maintain the fiction that he was in charge in his own home.

  Itohan crouched over the pillow, growled, and then let fly with teeth and claws. Linen shredded, cotton tore, and the feather stuffing exploded in a cloud of destruction. Still not satisfied, Itohan pounced in the feathery mess, using his paws and tail to spread little white pieces of revenge all over the room.

  Finally he sat, sneezed, and stared at Tallis. Hungry.

  Tallis narrowed his eyes. "You have to be kidding."

  "What?" Jaz was wide eyed, hovering between concern and laughter.

  "After that petulant display, Itohan informs me that he's hungry." Tallis glared at the me'hendra. "As if I'd feed you after that exhibition."

  "He talks to you?"

  Tallis offered her a wry smile. "Not in full sentences."

  She grinned back. "How then?"

  "With imperious commands, more often than not. Hungry, thirsty, play, pet—you get the idea."

  "So what's with the pillow hate?"

  "Retribution. I threw it at him, so he shredded it." Tallis flopped back onto the bed. "And now I'll have to clean it up."

  Laughing in delight, Jaz leaned over him. "Are you going to feed him?"

  "I'd rather kiss you." Tallis dragged her down to do just that, but before their lips could touch he felt Itohan's front paws on the bed. Keeping Jaz just a breath away, Tallis turned his head to eyeball the me'hendra. "You need to go now."

  Why?

  "Because I'm busy with Jaz."

  Mate her?

  "Itohan." Tallis put as much warning as he could into his voice.

  Me watch.

  "You will not. Go. Away."

  Hungry. Dinner me, then mate.

  Tallis pulled Jaz into a hug and tugged at his hair with his free hand. He glared at Itohan. "You're not going to leave until I feed you, are you?"

  No.

  "Badria's teeth. You are a pain in my ass."

  He could feel Jaz shaking with laughter. "What's going on?"

  "The master manipulator over there won't give us any privacy unless I feed him." Then, rather belatedly, Tallis wondered if Jaz might be hungry, too. He had no idea if she'd eaten anything yesterday. "Maybe I should feed you too, while I'm at it."

  "Well, now that you mention it, I am a bit peckish."

  "Right, come on." Pushing Jaz to one side, Tallis rolled out of bed. He grabbed a pair of trousers that were lying on the floor and pulled them on. Snatching up a t-shirt he tossed it to Jaz, and she managed to shrug into it without exposing any skin
.

  When she didn't seem too keen to leave the bed, he offered her his hand. "Coming?"

  "Um, I don't suppose you have a pair of pants I could borrow?"

  He frowned at her. Was she mad? She was lucky he wasn't making her walk around naked. "Nope. No pants for you."

  "But Tallis—"

  "No pants. And if you keep complaining I'll take the t-shirt from you as well."

  "For god's sake," she grumbled as she scrambled off the bed. "And you have the nerve to accuse Itohan of manipulation."

  Clasping her hand, Tallis eased her into his arms. "I'd prefer to see you in nothing but skin. I'm ignoring my wants to accommodate your modesty. How about some appreciation for my sacrifice?"

  She stared up at him, a frown marring her brow. "The sacrifice of allowing me to wear a very short t-shirt, but no pants."

  He stole a loud, smacking kiss. "Exactly."

  And then he towed her out into the kitchen, Itohan prowling at their heels.

  ****

  Jaz sat on a stool at the kitchen island, enjoying the way the sunlight lit up the vast space. Even more enjoyable was the view of Tallis as he collected the ingredients for what looked like a gourmet omelet. She should have offered to help, but it was so rare to have someone fuss over her that she wanted to savor the experience. Then Itohan padded over. He sat next to her, leaning so close his head was almost in her lap. She cradled him with one hand and used the other to stroke down his back and over his shoulders. His silvery fur was long, thick and velvet soft. The black spots and whorls were a work of art and his upwardly curved ears made him look totally adorable. Not that she would share that thought out loud.

  Tallis picked up a knife and started chopping tomatoes with a skill that seemed more assassin than chef. "So, tell me about your work. How did you get started?"

  It was a common enough question and Jaz had her "public" answer down pat. But that's not the response she gave Tallis. She wanted him to know more about her than some faceless suit at a fundraiser. "I had a sister, Holly, who was four years younger than me. When she was eight she was diagnosed with a blood disease called leukemia. The illness was debilitating and the treatment was brutal."

  Even after all this time, just thinking about that period filled Jaz with a hard lump of painful anger. "She was really brave, and she fought the disease so, so hard." And her family had fought with her. Holly battled with everything she had, and her father, mother and sister fought right alongside her.

  "For five years Holly was the center of our world. We did everything we could for her and, towards the end, Mom and Dad both gave up work to care for her full time."

  Jaz looked up to see Tallis watching her in that intense way of his. "I did what I could too, but I felt so helpless all the time. Then, when money started getting tight, I came up with the idea of doing some fundraising for Holly."

  And she'd thrown herself into it with everything she had. When she wasn't at school, she was working to raise money and she developed skills that were part administrator, part accountant, part event planner. With the amount of time her parents spent with Holly at the hospital, Jaz was often the only occupant of the house. Being busy helped keep her loneliness at bay.

  "It gave me a sense of accomplishment. Helping out financially and raising awareness about Holly and the thousands of children and adults like her. I felt…" she wanted to say "validated" but wasn't quite right. "I felt good."

  Tallis walked around the island bench and came to stand in front of her. "You must have loved her very much."

  "I did. I still do."

  He reached out and gathered her hand in his before pressing her palm to his chest. "Did you have aunts and uncles to help care for you?"

  Jaz shook her head. "No. Mom's an only child and Dad's brother and sisters live interstate."

  Frowning, Tallis edged closer. "So who cared for you when your parents were with your sister?"

  "I was old enough to care for myself." And how could she not? How could she complain about not going to prom or not having the money for field trips when her sister was fighting for her life?

  "You must have missed out on a great deal."

  Disconcerted by his uncanny perception, Jaz eased her hand from his grip. "What I missed out on was having a sister to grow up with. Nothing compares to that."

  "Of course." Lifting her hands to his lips, Tallis kissed her knuckles. "My heart aches for your sorrow." The phrase sounded honest, but also formal. Jaz assumed it was the Jendari version of "I'm sorry for your loss".

  "Thank you."

  Tallis released her and returned to his chopping station. "So, in fundraising for your sister, you found your calling?"

  "Yes, I suppose so."

  That initial fundraising drive was the first time Jaz could remember having attention for the right reasons. The kids at school weren't looking at her because she was overweight, or crap at sports, or because she wasn't one of the cool kids. For the first time in her school career, she was greeted with approval and even admiration. She developed a reputation as a "doer" and she liked it.

  And that experience had held true in adulthood. Working for the foundation was all about the kids. Nobody cared what she looked like, or where she lived. All that mattered was that she excelled at her job. Everyone valued her work from the board of trustees down, and the kids and parents loved her. As she loved them.

  Service was what she was good at and she'd been lucky enough to make a career out of it.

  "I like helping people," she said. "But putting a smile on the face of a sick kid is rewarding in ways I can't describe."

  "I'm sure it is. I had a small taste of that feeling myself yesterday." He smiled at her as he cracked several eggs into a bowl. "What do you do for yourself? What guilty pleasures do you use to fuel your fire?"

  The question caught her by surprise and she scrambled for an answer. The truth was her job and her kids took up the bulk of her time. While she didn't mind her lack of extracurricular activity, she was aware that all work and no play made her sound as dull as a rainy day.

  She and her flatmate Winter had busy, time consuming jobs. When they had a night off together, they liked to sit around in their pajamas and watch DVDs. Neither of them were nightclub material.

  But that didn't mean her social life was entirely dead and buried. She waved her hand in an all-encompassing gesture. "Oh, you know, the usual. I catch up with friends, go out to the movies or to dinner and … stuff."

  Tallis raised his eyebrow but didn't comment as he took the bowl, tipping the contents into a pan that had been heating on the stove. He went to the fridge, took out the biggest steak Jaz had ever seen, and came back to the island. Pulling out a fresh chopping board, he went to work dicing the meat.

  "What happened when Holly died?"

  And just like that the old grief came for her, hammering from the inside out. Jaz took a steadying breath before she answered him. "We buried her, and we mourned her."

  Tallis scraped the huge mound of diced steak onto a plate, then placed it on the floor. Itohan gave her hand a lick before ambling off to eat his dinner. Tallis washed his hands and returned to the stove top. "Your parents must have found you a great comfort. Did you stay with them for a while?"

  "No. I had a job offer so I moved to New York." Which was the truth, but not the whole story. The fact was her parents wanted to get away from their small town for a while. They wanted to go to a place where every look wasn't weighted with sympathy, where every conversation wasn't colored by the knowledge that they'd lost their daughter. So her mom and dad had sold the family home, purchased an RV, and taken to the road.

  And they'd left Jaz wallowing in a sea of grief.

  She hadn't even realized Tallis had moved until he scooped her up off the chair and into his arms. He sat down with her in his lap, his strong arms holding her tight. "I can scent your heartbreak, and it's not just about Holly. What else happened, shamira?"

  "It's ancient history. It doesn't
matter now."

  "It does to me." He kissed the top of her head and guided her head onto his shoulder. "Talk."

  And for the first time in her adult life, she voiced her disappointments out loud. The tears started almost straight away, and once she started she couldn't seem to stop. She cried, and in between sobs she confessed all. Every selfish, mean thought she'd ever had about growing up in a house with a sick sibling. The poison kept spewing out of her mouth. She couldn't stop it even though she knew how horrible she sounded. By the time she got to her parents' unintentional abandonment, she was gasping out her story in big, ugly sobs.

  A tea-towel was shoved into her hands and she cried into it, using it to muffle the awful sound she was making. She cried and cried, and it was a long time before she limped to a halt.

  And through it all, Tallis held her so tight it felt like he never wanted to let her go.

  ****

  They spent the rest of the morning just hanging out, sharing stories from their very different lives. By tacit agreement they avoided anything with an emotional context, and by lunchtime Jaz could pretend she was feeling back to her usual self.

  When Tallis led her into the bedroom after lunch, it wasn't just desire that sent anticipation surging through her. It was also the need to be comforted, to connect. To be loved, even if it was just for few short hours.

  Tallis didn't disappoint, and with every touch, every kiss, Jaz found herself falling deeper and deeper under his spell.

  ****

  Jaz woke up at five and crept out of bed. She dressed in her stained, dirty clothes, gathered her purse, and snuck out the door. Tallis had made it very clear that their encounter was a one-time-only proposition, and she had agreed to those terms with her eyes wide open. She had no desire to make the situation any more awkward (for him) and painful (for her) than it had to be.

  She held herself together in the elevator. She maintained her composure in the cab ride home. She even managed to make a call to the office to let them know she wouldn't be in today.

  But when she stood staring at her bed, reality crashed in, hitting her like a freight train. This was her life for the immediate future. An empty bed, an aching heart, and a painful yearning for a man she could never have.