Jason left to do as instructed and Christian stood against the door and watched him go; trying to bring his desire for Danielle under control.
Jessica was so relieved to see that Danielle was unharmed; she forgot her reservations and flung her arms around her. Suddenly she didn’t care if she’d taken her place in her family, she was just glad to see that she was fine.
"Oh god, I was afraid they were going to hurt you!"
"Jessica, what's going on?" They broke apart and Danielle finally noticed Riley on the floor. "Oh my god, what did they do to him!"
She ran to kneel in front of him and began to check for wounds while Jessica grabbed a towel and ran it under the cold water. "They didn't do anything, Shane did.” Jessica knelt on the other side of Riley and began to run the towel over his face. "Christian said he should be coming around any time now.”
Danielle rubbed the side of her head, "I'm getting confused, and how about you start at the beginning."
Jessica did just that, she told her about her first meeting with Nick and ended with her running up the stairs and being pulled into the bathroom by Christian. Before Danielle could ask any questions Riley began to groan and open his eyes.
"Oh thank god!" Jessica hugged her little brother and surprisingly Riley hugged her back. She felt tears forming and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She was finally being hugged by her little brother and for the first time since she'd met him, they weren't at opposite corners of the ring. When she felt in better control of her emotions she pulled back and smacked him on the arm. "What the hell were you thinking when you stepped up to Shane?"
Riley smiled at her and used his thumb to wipe an errant tear off her cheek. "That you are my sister and no one else messes with you but me."
Jessica smiled back at him wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Thanks, but next time don’t get hurt because of me."
"It looks like it's going to be a long wait." Christian interrupted them, his arms were laden with food. "So I brought you some snacks." He set the junk food on the counter and left again without another word.
"Who the hell is that?!" Riley asked as he tried to scramble to his feet but Jessica and Danielle pulled him back down. "And what the hell are we doing in your bathroom Jessica?"
"It's a long story and if you sit down I'll tell you everything I know."
Which is not much, she thought and began to form a plan of escape now that Riley was up and obviously well enough.
Before that thought was even completed Christian stuck his head through the door and looked straight at Jessica, "And one more thing, we've followed you for quite a while. I'd like to think that I have an idea of how your mind works and I just wanted to let you know that the house is surrounded, you won’t be leaving this bathroom without permission let alone the house."
"What?!" She shrieked "I swear when I get a hold of Nick, I'm going to shove you down his throat!"
Christian smiled, wished her good luck and saluted her before shutting the door again.
"Now would be a good time to clue me in." Riley patted the floor next to him.
Jessica sat and told him the same story she'd told Danielle.
If there was one good thing that she got out of the whole experience it was the chance to connect with Riley and Danielle. For the first time they were talking without being prodded by their parents and getting along. Jessica wasn't a fool to think that everything was fixed, but she knew that they'd finally taken a step in the right direction.
It was just over an hour when they felt something crash against the house. The whole house shook from the impact. Jessica had just ushered Danielle and Riley into the bath tub when Christian rushed in, slamming the door behind him and bracing himself against it.
"He's here." He was looking at Jessica when he said it and she immediately knew who he was talking about. After a couple more crashes the house finally stopped shaking and everything went silent. Even then Christian kept his guard up. Tension was flowing out of him in waves and it proved contagious.
It was just after midnight when Christian stiffened when there was a knock on the door.
Chapter 9
"Christian, open the door."
He didn't budge.
Then suddenly Jessica began to feel a strange power stirring in the air. With jerky movements, as if trying to fight an unknown force, Christian unlocked the door. Jessica didn't know what to expect but she braced herself and stood up in front of Riley and Danielle. She would fight like a mad woman if it meant keeping her family safe.
Then the door opened and Nick strode in, power and confidence surrounding him like a cloak.
"I need a couple of minutes alone with Jessica."
Riley and Danielle began to protest when the other two guys that had been with them throughout the evening came in and picked them up as if they were no more than a bag of potatoes.
"Touch my sister and I'll kill you!" were the last words from Riley as he was carried out of her room.
"Christian, your dedication to her safety will be rewarded but my patience is running thin, go." He ordered in that same power filled voice.
With panic filled eyes, Jessica watched him go. Something was different about Nick and she began to back up away from him. He followed her until she was cornered against the wall then bent down to scoop her up. The feel and scent of him was so inviting, she wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and melt against him but stiffened in his arms instead.
"Please don't fight me" he murmured against her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her body. "I won’t hurt you, just don't fight me."
His pleas and the sincerity in his voice convinced Jessica. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he strode out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
"Is this your room?"
Jessica nodded.
"It smells like you; fresh without artifice." He walked towards the bed and laid her down in the middle. He stood up and looked down at her as he took off his sweatshirt. Jessica started to get up but he stopped her. "Stay there, please, I want to look at you."
Jessica eyed him skeptically. "Were you kidnapped by UFO's?" She asked him and he laughed for the first time in hours.
"No I wasn't kidnapped by Aliens." He lay down next to her and pulled her closer to him. He nuzzled her neck and rubbed slow circles on her back.
Jessica closed her eyes and bit back a sigh of pleasure. "Don't hold back baby. I want to know what makes you feel good"
That had Jessica going stiff again and Nick chuckling. "Not that kind of feel good, at least not tonight, tonight I just want to hold you. I want to erase his touch from your body, make sure you are alright."
Jessica nodded and gave in. She was too tired to fight. She was too tired to fight him, to fight her attraction to him, to fight herself. This one night she'd give in, and deal with the consequences tomorrow.
"I'm so sorry baby."
"Sorry about what?" Jessica asked drowsily, the day’s events were catching up to her and with his warmth surrounding her, she was finding it hard to stay focused.
"If it wasn't for my stupid ego, that asshole wouldn't have laid a hand on you."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Yes it was, but I don't want to talk about him right now. Right now I want to kiss his scent off of you. May I?"
Jessica took a deep breath and nodded. How could she say no when this was what she'd been dreaming about for the last six months. Her body had been numb without his touch, and now that he was back her nerve endings felt alive like never before. The thought alone, of his lips on her,
He lay on his side, supported his head with one hand and with the other he lightly traced her face.
"I'm going to start here" He moved his fingers down her throat and along her collar bone. "Then I'm going to kiss you here." He moved his hand lower and Jessica held her breath, anticipating his touch on her breast, but he skipped that certain area and traced her bellybutton. "I hope you're not ticklish here, be
cause I'll be kissing you here also." After a couple more circles around her stomach he trailed his fingers down, and she held her breath again. When he reached her knee she let out a frustrated breath, making him chuckle. "Not tonight baby, but you'll like my kisses there too, I promise." He circled her knees then trailed her calf, ankle and feet until he reached her toes than moved to the other foot and treated that side to the same caress.
Slowly he moved up until they were face to face again. He smiled down at her and began do what he'd promised. They were light feather kisses that brought a smile to her face. Slowly she relaxed more and more and by the time he'd reached her face once more she was already half asleep.
"I've never bored someone to sleep with my kisses before." He chuckled as he laid down next to her and pulled her closer.
"Not bored" She yawned. "So relaxed I can't keep my eyes open."
He chuckled again. "I think it’s the same thing."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I'm glad you feel safe enough with me to fall asleep in my arms."
"Stay with me tonight?"
Who knew that under all that toughness was a marshmallow? He’d expected her to fight him tooth and nail for all his highhandedness instead she was purring in his arms. Nick could find himself quickly getting used to it.
"Yeah I'm staying" he murmured "but tomorrow we have a lot to talk about."
Nick waited for a response that never came. He looked down to see her fast asleep. He couldn't help but feel like she belonged there; lying next to him with her hand above his heart and her head resting in the crook his arm.
For the first time since he'd gotten the call from Axel about her confrontation with Shane, his wolf was at peace and he felt in control again. He closed his eyes, and sleep took him under faster than it ever had before.
During the middle of the night, the discomfort of sleeping with his clothes on woke Nick up. Looking around, it took him a second to remember where he was. The tingling in his arm had him looking down to see Jessica cuddled up next to him, lying on his arm. It seemed that she hadn't moved all night.
With a sigh of regret, he pulled his arm out slowly from under her and slipped out of bed. He looked down at her and mesmerized, he stood by and watched her sleep. The moonlight streaming through the window was his only source illumination but with his sight it was all he needed.
He could see her as clearly as if it was daylight.
His eyes lingered on her face for a second, on her long eyelashes fanning her cheeks and her pouty full lips, before trailing down the rest of her body. Visually, he caressed the soft curves of her breast as they rose and fell with each soft breath she took. His eyes roamed over her stomach and down to the juncture between her thighs.
The thought of seeing her naked had him growing hard in seconds and he salivated at the thought of bringing her to climax with his tongue. He was thirsty and desperate for a taste-of her. He wondered if she was as wild in bed as she was out of it.
Nick looked away and took a stumbling step back, this was all too important to ruin with a quick fuck just to satiate his thirst. The soft rustle of the sheets, snapped his attention back to the bed and he made his way back to it quietly. Looking down at her, his lips turned up on their own volition.
She looked so peaceful, curled up on her side; a hand under her head-where his arm had been moments ago. Her other hand reached for the spot where he had been and made small noise of displeasure when all she encountered were the sheets. Triumph filled his chest and his lips pulled up in a full blown smile. Her subconscious missed him, and with their people, that meant her wolf.
Her wolf missed him. Her wolf wanted him. And he told himself to walk away. Told himself to gather his things and go, that she wasn't ready for any of this. He had to go because he knew that if he got back into bed with her, it would be a struggle to keep his hands off of her.
Filled with resolve, he dragged himself away from the bed. HT the door he reached for the doorknob but found that he couldn't bring himself to twist it open. Growling his frustration, he turned back to the bed; feeling like an invisible thread kept pulling him back to her and too weak to break the connection.
He returned to her bedside and in front of her once again, he took a deep breath, pulling her scent into him. His gut tightened with hunger but not for food. He was hungry for her, his mate and he couldn't walk away from her. He wouldn’t claim her tonight but he wasn't leaving.
And he refused to be uncomfortable.
Eyes trained on her, he pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor; his jeans were discarded just as quickly but he kept his boxers on out of consideration for her. He crawled back into bed as quietly as he'd left it and pulled Jessica back to his side. Resting into the crook of his arm, he couldn't help but notice that she fit his mold. She was a perfect fit for him.
She brought a hand up to rest on his chest and he smiled before dropping a soft kiss on her head.
"Thanks for staying." She murmured softly.
Her sleepy voice startled him and he looked down to find her looking up at him. "You've been awake this whole time?"
She gave a small nod, "I felt you get out of bed. I thought you were going to leave." She admitted in a whisper.
"I was. I wanted to, but I couldn't."
"I'm glad." She told him and proved it by giving him a small kiss on the side of his neck before closing her eyes and going back to sleep.
Nick felt the kiss all the way to his groin and he swallowed back a groan of both pleasure and pain. It was going to be a long time before he could do the same.
Chapter 10
The next morning Jessica woke up to the realization that someone was laying on top of her. Not yet completely awake, she squirmed and earned herself a growl that vibrated all through her body. Shivers of pleasure trailed down her spine until she felt a sudden sharp pain at the base of her neck and her eyes flew open.
Instinctive reaction had her raising her knee; connecting with male anatomy parts that seconds too late, she realized belonged to Nick.
He released her neck and she felt the air rush out of his lungs. Jessica shoved him off of her and he went without a fight, groaning and holding himself. Curled up into the fetal position, he closed his eyes and worked on regaining his breath.
Taking advantage of his distraction she jumped out of bed and reached for her trusty knives. They were kept in her bedside drawer and she wished she hadn’t forgotten them yesterday. In her mind, she had a picture of Shane eating his own sausage and scrambled eggs and it almost made her laugh.
Then the pain on her neck reminded her that the current situation was no laughing matter.
Trying not to panic, she took a deep breath and took stock of her body. Aside from her neck, she had no other aches and she released a sigh of relief. Then a groan came from her bed.
It snapped her attention back to the present and she switched her knives open as she looked at Nick. He looked angry-furious-and Jessica took an involuntary step back.
"It was an automatic reaction." She told him as way of an explanation.
Nick, who was now crouched on the bed, glared at her and she raised her chin, stood up straight and glared back.
"You were biting me!" She accused and tried to rub the aching spot with her chin since her hands were occupied.
Upon her accusation, his eyes flew wide open, and he grew still and he sniffed the air the way she'd seen Axel do it the day before.
"Stop with the funny stuff!" She ordered, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Just my luck, I swear all of you belong in the funny farm. My bodyguard thinks he is my boyfriend and goes off his rocker when I remind him that he is not." Nick growled at the mention of Shane but it only drew her ire towards him. "And you! You show up out of nowhere, cause all these problems then you send your friends to lock me up in my bathroom- and you bit me!”
She pulled her shirt and showed him the wound. Nick stared at it for a second before throwing himself back on the bed
and groaning.
Shaking her head she turned to go to her restroom to clean up her neck when the next thing she heard was the click of the door; Jessica turned back around to find she was alone in her room. Closing her knives and stashing them in her back pockets, she went after him. Opening the door she almost slammed into a breathing wall.
It was Axel.
"Where is he?" she asked him.
"He went outside to take a breather." Jessica didn't miss the laughter in his voice.
"How long have you been standing out here?"
"All night."
"And you heard..."
He smiled and nodded, "Everything."
Jessica rolled her eyes and tried to step around Axel. He moved and blocked her exit. She planted her hands on her hips. "Now what is it?"
"Nick is having," he paused, looking for the right word, "issues-"
She snorted, "Issues? You people need medication!"
Axel ignored her, "There's too many of us here-"
"Feel free to leave."
"-and this is all new to him, it would be best for everyone if you waited in your room for him."
"And it would be best for your ass to move out of the way. What did you do with Dani and Riley?" She stood on her tip-toes to peek over his shoulder.
"We killed them." Christian told her and with lightning speed her hands flew to her back pockets. "Just kidding, just kidding."
Jessica glared at Christian who now stood next to Axel but didn't drop her hands.
"I wonder how funny you'd find a bloody nose."
Axel lips quirked up in a smile and Christian tried his hardest not to glare at them.
"So what did you do with them?" She asked again
Axel looked away and Christian looked over her shoulder as he answered her. "We, uh, gave them some sleeping pills."
"You did what!!?" She took a threatening step towards him but Axel stepped in front of her.
"The whole issues thing again." He repeated and shrugged in apology.
A shriek came from a couple of doors down and it had their heads turning. Jessica tried to rush past them but Axel held her back while Christian rushed off to Dani's door with a smile on his face and Jessica looked at his retreating back with that look. The one she used a little too often around them.
The Heir Page 10